Kissing Audition
by MusicFlows
Summary: Amou persuades Kahoko to put on a blindfold and let the boys kiss her. Kazuki,Tsuchiura,Tsukimori,Azuma,Aoi, Kiriya.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** OK, so the premise of this story is wildly implausible. There's no way that a kissing audition could take place in a high school setting…..especially with Japan! It's actually unthinkable that any of the characters would participate. I predict that in the second paragraph you'll already be shaking your head and saying "No Way!"

So this story is total fantasy on my part. I just felt like playing around with the concept of being blindfolded, finding out what the boys would do if they were given freedom to express themselves, and wondering if they could be identified through their actions. You might want to guess who kissed her and how, or wait until I give you the answer in a later chapter. I'm not actually trying to be that mysterious; it's just an exercise in seeing people from a different perspective.

I thought this was going to be short, like my other stories, but it's turning out to be a really, really long one. Very fun to write. Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Kissing Audition **

Nami Amou was a genius, if she did say so herself. Kahoko admitted to her one day that she wouldn't mind having a boyfriend, although she didn't have anyone particular in mind. After weeks of having witnessed her friend's obliviousness in the presence of so many male admirers, the feisty reporter was eager to conjure up a way to further her friend's interests. Being a keen observer, she knew all too well which boys had the hots for the redhead. She also had some insight into Kahoko's taste in men, as well as some ideas about which men might provide interesting experiences for the girl in spite of her natural inclinations.

One afternoon Amou told her friend about the plan. They would hold a Kissing Audition. Amou would choose the men from Kahoko's immediate entourage, contact them and set up appointments for each interested party. Kahoko would be waiting in a practice room, blindfolded. Each suitor would have 15 minutes with her. The boys shouldn't talk and she shouldn't touch them, because the idea was that the boys' anonymity would force her to make decisions based solely on physical interaction.

The process would be completely private for all parties. Appointments could be made for any time, so the men wouldn't be aware of who the other participants were either. Amou wouldn't tell Kahoko who the boys were until after she had made her decision.

Amou already knew who she was going to invite. Hihara, Tsuchiura, Kaji, Tsukimori and Etou. The latter two guys were inspired longshots. They hadn't shown any overt interest in the girl, but Amou's antennae were tingling about the potential for romance.

Out of all the guys that kissed her, Kaho could go on a date with whoever she wished.

During the 'meetings' Kahoko would have a beeper in her pocket. She would beep Amou (waiting in a room down the hall) when a boy entered the room and Amou would beep her when 15 min were up. Kaho could also beep at any time if there was a problem and Amou would come immediately. Amou also set up a pre-designed message so that if Kaho was particularly enjoying a certain boy's company she could request a time extension before the beeper went off.

After a couple weeks of relentless persuasion from the blonde, Kahoko finally agreed to do it. She was nervous as heck about the whole scheme, but Amou convinced her of how private the process would be. The boys wouldn't know who else was involved unless they talked to each other, and that was unlikely since all of them were so competitive. It would be a great opportunity for them to 1) kiss the girl they like, and 2) have her get to know them in a way that wouldn't otherwise occur. The fact that Kahoko was subconsciously hoping that Tsukimori-kun would participate, might be largely responsible for why she was going along with Amou's plan. The journalist didn't care what her friend's motivation was; she was in for a little education about guys.

Amou began contacting the men. She made sure they knew that the audition process was her idea, that she was in charge of choosing the guys, and that Kahoko was being gracious in agreeing to participate. Most of them were shocked by the idea, but intrigued. "Think of it as private time with Hino-san, and I'm just the one who's making the appointment so as to keep your identity a secret from her." Not wanting the boys to regard Kahoko as being 'easy' she told each of them that there was only one other boy that was participating. In most cases the men said that they would think about it, but as she predicted the call-backs began trickling in. The one exception was Tsukimori, who thought the exercise was a waste of time, in bad taste, and privately he didn't want to participate in anything that another guy was involved in. But the idea was like a slow poison that began consuming him. Amou figured that he would come around eventually. The big surprise was when Yunoki contacted Amou, saying that he was interested. He apparently found out from Kazuki. Who knew that Yunoki had any interest in Kahoko?!

Amou counseled all the men to be mindful of Kahoko's vulnerable position, that she would probably be nervous. If any of them misbehaved they would have Amou's considerable media clout to deal with.

She thought it would be best to split the boys up across 2-3 days. Too many guys at once might be confusing for Kahoko, but ideally the appointments would be close enough to make comparisons.

* * *

**Day 1**

The day of the first kiss arrived. Kahoko was originally really nervous until Amou psyched her into it by appealing to her sense of compassion. She said that the boys were probably more nervous than her since she would be making comparisons between them. Amou painted a convincing picture of the fragility of the male ego. This perspective worked on tender-hearted Kahoko. She pulled herself together and resolved to make the guys as comfortable as possible.

Amou had hand-stitched a stylish blindfold for her friend. The fabric was black with a couple red roses embroidered along the edge. She helped Kahoko put it on, and reviewed procedures with her. "…And in case you like several of the men, you should try to keep track of details so at the end you can make decisions about who to date. You should actually make some notes at the end of each day, because it could get confusing after 6 guys and 3 days." Amou taped a sign that blocked the door window, saying "Examination Testing in progress."

She was actually feeling quite jealous as skipped down the hall to wait. She would be hounding her friend with questions afterward!

Alone now, the redhead took a few deep breaths and accustomed herself to the noises of the room and the building…the clock ticking, the furnace coming on, birds and cars outside, music coming from other practice rooms. They all seemed louder with her eyes closed. She was standing with one hand on the piano as she faced the door. Into the melange of familiar noises came the new sound of footsteps…

* * *

Candidate #1

The door flew open and she heard quick breathing, as if the boy had been running. He put something hard and heavy on the floor. He didn't move from that spot for several moments and she heard scratching of skin and fidgeting of clothes as his breath slowed. Then footsteps across the carpet until he was in front of her. A hand softly encircled her upper arm, his thumb inadvertently brushing against her breast. With a sharp intake of breath he moved his hand instead to her shoulder.

Silence…waiting…until she felt a warm mouth on hers. One gentle kiss and he drew back…Another kiss, deeper before he pulled away again. Arms went around her shoulders and he pulled her closer. His lips on hers, softly pushing and probing. A hand at the back of her head. His tentative tongue, subtle sweetness, bolder now, his groan of desire. Hands falling down her back to rest at her waist. Forehead to forehead, lips again, pulling her waist against him…maybe not THAT close…petting her hair as he kissed her more gently. His sigh…gathering her in his arms. Long warm hug, his cheek against hers, hands stroking her back until the beeper went off.

He kissed her cheek, placed her hand back on the piano so she would know where she was, regretfully letting go of her, one last lingering look by the door before he opened it and passed through. He stopped outside the door and considered returning to her, but ultimately sighed and continued down the hall. It felt wrong to leave her and he knew that he would probably never be that close to her again, but it was out of his hands.

She never realized how much emotion could be conveyed, even with eyes closed and no talking. Whoever this guy was had really touched her with his honest feelings. It was her first kiss and she didn't even know who he was.

* * *

Candidate #2

Was it her imagination or had she heard the door open and close? He was so quiet in his approach that it was the mere stirring of air that alerted her to his presence. Into the charged stillness came the surprising sensation of fingers traveling lightly down her spine before his arms went around her from behind as he pulled her firmly against him.

One strong arm continued to hold her as his other hand pulled her hair aside so he could kiss her neck. It was a sensitive area for her, and his touch there made her quiver. Every nuance of his breath could be heard as he kissed and nibbled up her neck. Over to her ear where he slowly tongued her earlobe and drew it into his mouth so he could gently bite it. She too was breathing audibly now. With help from his hand which held her face in position, his lips continued along a path across her neck until he found her pulse. He pressed his mouth against the throbbing beat and remained for ten of her pulses as he slipped a couple fingers inside the neckline of her blouse. She gasped as he traced a slow path that flirted with the curves at the top of her bra.

Suddenly he spun her around to face him, and pinned her against the piano. With his legs on either side of hers, his hands cradling her face, and with as much frontal body contact as possible he began kissing her mouth. Soft at first, his lips were very, very persuasive and soon Kahoko was fully engaged in deep kissing the man. She slipped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer.

When the beeper went off, he tipped her away from the piano and pulled her into his arms. Tenderly, he kissed every part of her face. The last one was a sweet kiss on her lips. It felt like he cherished her…and then he was gone.

* * *

"Well, how was it? I want details!" Amou was looking forward to living vicariously through her friend. "How was #1?"

Kahoko thought back to the breathless boy. "Number one...he was very sweet and affectionate. I think he must really like me." Amou nodded. She of course knew who the guys were even though she wasn't going to tell Kahoko yet.

"Was he a good kisser?"

"I don't think he was very experienced, but what do I know? He kissed me quite a bit, and hugged me. It was nice. I'm pretty sure he likes me a lot. It seemed to be more about holding me than kissing me." She didn't really want to give Amou _too _many details. What she experienced with the guys seemed so personal. She didn't want to betray their secrets.

"Number Two?"

The violinist exhaled forcefully. "He was exciting..._obviously_ experienced. He seemed to like to keep me guessing...At the end it felt like he liked me too."

Amou was intrigued and pressed for more details but Kahoko wouldn't share the particulars. How could she? What he had done to her was too bold to describe. She blushed as she kept mute, and Amou resolved to ask her about him again later.

Kahoko slept fitfully, reviewing the experiences of the day. She spent a lot time dwelling on how much of #1's feelings came through. And #2 was so exciting that she went over the encounter again and again, memorizing what he did to her. How gentle he was at the end really surprised her.

* * *

Stay tuned for Day 2


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Thanks so much for the great reviews! I really appreciate you getting into the spirit of the story and tolerating the outrageous premise behind the plot. Since you're being so nice, I'm giving you this chapter sooner than planned…You people made great guesses, btw.

**FYI:** Amou will be revealing the boys' identities to Kahoko in Chapter 4. I'll warn you again later so you can cement your guesses before then. Then believe it or not, there's a lot more to the story after finding out who the guys are. There will be dates! And complications!

In case anybody was wondering, I originally put adorable Keiichi Shimizu in, but his kissing skills were sub-par and he even acted a little weird. Can anyone guess what he did to Kaho? Anyway she didn't enjoy it and chose not to go on a date with him, which made for hurt feelings and annoying loose ends later in the story. Yada, yada. I just couldn't take all the irritation, so I un-wrote him.

Also, I never considered Ousaki Shinobu even though I think he's such a great guy. It's because of the age difference. I just couldn't see him going for it, esp in a school setting. Please forgive me Shinobu and Shimizu fans. I'll be nice to them in other stories.

* * *

**Day 2**

Candidate #3

The next day she was rested up and ready for another round of 'auditions'. She checked her blindfold and waited by the piano. She didn't have to wait long. The door swung open with vigor. He walked straight up and wrapped his arms around her, letting out a big breath of relief. It quickly became the best hug she ever had; warm, life-giving, strong. He petted her hair and stroked her jaw with such affection. When he lifted her chin and kissed her, she thought 'his kiss is like his hug.' Everything he gave her felt like a steady wave of love. His thumbs brushing across her cheekbones, his mouth teasing and probing. She leaned into his kiss, enjoying his taste. She already had some kissing experience now and was beginning to know what she liked.

Suddenly he picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. With his hands on her derriere he carried her over to the wall and pressed her against it. He wanted her badly, and her desire was rapidly catching up to his. Their kisses deepened and intensified. Kahoko's hand in her pocket found the beeper's right-hand button, pre-programmed for a time extension. She pushed it, giving her and her suitor an extra 15 min together. She could just imagine Amou's delight upon receiving the message.

His hand stroked down her neck as he kept her mouth busy. The hand trailed across her shoulder and down, to graze the side of her breast. His thumb slowly rubbed across her nipple and his mouth swallowed her gasp. He stroked her again and again, relishing her mounting excitement as she moaned into his mouth. He lifted her with him as he sat on the piano bench, keeping her straddled across his lap. She could feel his erection, especially when he increased the contact by pulling her hips against him. Now his probing, rhythmic kisses were a whole-body event. They felt like…penetration. She had to slow things down. This wasn't the place for things to get that heated, and it was feeling too fast for her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and put her head on his shoulder.

He exhaled sharply. "Pfff…Sorry." he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about." she smiled. She knew who he was. She just knew. What a surprise that he could feel so good. She put her hand on his cheek and kissed him.

"I love you" he whispered. She smiled with gratitude. Sighing, he stroked her hair once more and made his exit.

* * *

Candidate #4

He was late coming through the door, but beforehand she thought she could hear him lingering outside in the hallway. When he finally opened the door, he stood there for a while longer before entering. He stared at her, shook his head, paced, and stared some more. He was making up his mind to leave, when she began stepping toward him. Thinking that her silent visitor might be nervous and in need of encouragement, she moved away from the wall to lesson the distance between them. She was walking carefully with hands outstretched toward the piano. There was footfall and a swish of air as he advanced to intercept her. A hand caught her arm, steadying her. She tilted her head up and smiled in thanks.

After a pause, long fingers tentatively stroked her cheek…her jaw…chin…side of her nose…forehead…hair. Then his warm mouth touched hers with a slow kiss. He pulled away as he moved his hands to her shoulders… leaned in again to press a kiss, then another kiss into her lips. He began exploring with several caresses of lip across lip, from side to side as a soft moan escaped his throat. Moving his hands to cup her face, he delved in earnest. His analytical mind couldn't help but catalog how many elements seemed to be involved in kissing: pressure, friction, moisture, texture, temperature, speed, and the endless variety they might provide depending on the combination that one chose. After a few more explorations he succumbed to desire and settled into an arousing rhythm that had her sighing with pleasure.

When the beeper went off, he felt bereft. He had only just begun to probe the possibilities with her, and something primal within him had begun to awaken. He was loathe to leave her but with the lightest kiss of her hand, he did. He knew he would be dreaming about her tonight.

* * *

Amou was eager hear about the guy whose kiss prompted Kahoko to request more time with. "He must have been pretty hot for you to do that!"

Kahoko blushed. "We were in the middle of something" she admitted.

"I'll bet! Was he a good kisser?"

"He was very passionate…wow…but really nice too…Amou, do all these boys…like me? I know that has to be impossible, but it _feels_ like they really do."

"Pretty much, Girlfriend. It's amazing how clueless you've been up until now. But it's been obvious to me for a long time, which is why I chose them. You can tell by their kiss, can you?"

"Yes, I think so. When will you tell me who is who?"

"On the weekend. That should give you a couple days to come to whatever conclusions."

Kahoko sighed. "So far I like them all, for different reasons. How am I ever going to choose?"

"You can date them all if you like. Not that that won't be confusing too. They all like you, so if you like most of them than you'll have quite a big decision on your hands. Some feelings are going to be hurt. Later, you and I can discuss the best way for you to approach the dating part of things so at least there are no misunderstandings."

"I hate the idea of anyone being disappointed."

"You're such a softie, Kaho... These boys have liked you for a while, which means they're already kinda disappointed because you've been too oblivious to notice them...in _that way_. At least this way they get to, for once, get close to you. And one of them will win your hand, so to speak. That's fewer disappointed guys than before this exercise. Another good part of this is that by dating you, some of the guys may decide that they're not that interested, after all."

"Why would they be, anyway? Why do you think they like me, Amou?"

"I think there are many reasons, Sweetie. You're cute, you're passionate about what you believe in, you're sincere, honest. Your love of music and your dedication probably inspire them a lot. And you're very generous with people…and sweet…innocent. Well, you won't be as innocent after you've kissed all these boys, but maybe that's to the good." She smiled wickedly.

"Huh...I feel funny saying it, but so far I feel good about doing this. I'm relieved to know what kissing is like. I'm not so nervous about it anymore."

"Kaho, you're so incredibly lucky to have this unique opportunity. Think how many girls would love to have the chance to find out how a guy kisses before they commit to dating him. And now that you're becoming an experienced kisser, you're probably feeling more confident overall…"

"Yes, that's true."

"Oh yes; what about #4?"

"Him…it took him a long time to approach me, but when he did it was nice. He warmed up after a while. He actually felt very good...I'm not sure how much he liked me. Compared to #1, I think he was more curious about kissing. I'm assuming that this was his first kiss...I'm not saying that he doesn't like me. Just that it wasn't as obvious to me."

* * *

Stay Tuned for Kaho's 3rd day of kisses


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Amou will reveal the boys' identities in Chapter 4. If I were to keep all of the chapters roughly the same size, the reveal would ordinarily come at the end of this page. I decided to segregate it, though, to give you a chance to firm up your guesses. That makes this page shorter than the others. Sooo...this page is your last chance to wonder and muse!

I also finished up my Ousaki Shinobu story 'Snowed In', if anyone is interested :)

* * *

**Day 3**

Candidate #5

Into the still air of the practice room came the fresh scent of the outdoors as the door opened. A breeze swirled around her as he approached. His breath tickled her hair as he gently slid his arms around her to lock his fingers at the back of her waist. She instinctively placed her palms on his chest and he began ever so slowly rocking her from side to side with him in a subtle dance as he held her close. His movements were so _slow _that every touch seemed magnified. How erotic it was to feel his cheek against hers. His face slid down the side of hers until his mouth was in the curve at the bottom of her neck, slowly kissing her there. His hands unlocked to slide in different directions up and down her spine and they became part of the force that initiated the undulating dance as his mouth kissed a slow trail along her skin.

He was building layers of arousing sensations that held her in the thrall of his touch. His hands swept back and forth across her shoulder blades as his mouth traveled across her collarbone, his silky hair tickling her chin as he moved. One hand pressed down along her spine as the other hand floated up to stroke along her jaw, where he began kissing. He pulled gentle kisses just beneath her jawline and his hand either closely led or followed his mouth. The pairing of sensations. The other hand drew hypnotic circles in the curve of her lower back.

The kisses migrated up to her temple and his fingers buried themselves in her hair as he pulled her closer. Now his tongue became involved with each kiss, so subtly moving in concert with his lips…adding tantalizing delicate wet movement. She found it very arousing. This boy was a master of sensuality. By the time his mouth relocated to the corner of hers she was desperate for him to kiss her thoroughly. She reached into her pocket and pressed the time extension button on the beeper. She wasn't going to risk being interrupted before reaching nirvana.

He repeatedly drew little kisses around the edges of her lips and gradually tasted more of their plumpness. She was drugged with desire for more of him, and she began whimpering softly. Suddenly his mouth centered on hers and he was kissing her _deeply_. Her hands went around the back of his head as she gave him as good as she got. Their mouths were wide open to each other as their tongues slipped together in a velvet dance. She moaned into his mouth as he pulled her tightly against him. He had orchestrated this crescendo of sensation so perfectly that if he had wanted to remove her panties and make love to her right there up against the piano, she would have done so willingly, gratefully and feverishly. As it was, they mutually concluded that they had reached the pinnacle of what was possible in the confines of the room, and they had to cool things down.

He stroked her back and held her close as he kissed her temple. They were both catching their breath and sighing. Finally he stepped back, kissing her a few more times on her cheek, nose, forehead. With a stroke of his hand along her jaw, he was out the door.

She exhaled, pulled off her blindfold and texted Amou. "Who was that?!!!" Amou giggled and texted back "That was #5."

* * *

Candidate #6

She heard him enter and prop himself against the far wall. Was he watching her? He stayed there for a few minutes, she didn't know how long. For some reason it upset her; not knowing what was going on, why he wasn't approaching her. As exciting as it was to meet all the boys under these circumstances, it was also pretty stressful. She was probably tired too. She suddenly felt foolish and lowered her face as tears began to well up. She was trying not to let him see, but her breath was coming out in little jerks.

He sighed and strode over to her, putting his arms around her and stroking her hair. With his thumb he wiped a couple tears that had escaped beneath the blindfold. "I'm sorry" she sniffed.

"Shh-hh" he replied. He held her some more and she relaxed into his shoulder as he rubbed her back. By the time he drew back to look at her, she had a brave little smile for him.

On impulse he placed a hand on each side of her face and softly kissed her. He would have left it at that if she hadn't tasted so good. With his second kiss he took a longer sample of her lips…then he couldn't stop. He was just settling into a rhythm with her when the beeper went off. _Damn!! _ Why had he waited so long to touch her in the first place?

She pulled the beeper out of her pocket and showed it to him before pressing the button. "Now we have more time" she whispered.

He didn't waste any more of it. He pulled her hand up to place it against his jaw with the implicit request for her to touch him. As she traced the planes of his profile, he closed his eyes with pleasure and softly learned her face with his mouth. With each sample he took of her, he fell a little bit more in love. All the previous times he had encountered her, he had had no idea how sweet it was to be this close to her. Now that he knew, he would be forever burdened with the desire to touch her again.

He sighed and kissed her on the forehead before making his exit, cursing at himself under his breath.

* * *

All will be revealed in the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**Spoiler Alert!**

Here it is; the moment you've all been waiting for! This is where Amou reveals to Kahoko who the boys were that kissed her. If you want to do any more guessing, look away now!

If you really like suspense and want to enjoy the surprise along with Kahoko, you might want to cover the lower part of the screen with a piece of paper as you read along.

Drum roll begins...Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

* * *

_We pick up where Amou is interrogating Kahoko after she met with Candidates #5 & #6..._

_

* * *

_

"So?" Amou was desperate for details. "How was #5?"

"Wow! He was good with his hands. It felt like he had more than two of them!…He was very smooth and slow, but he got me really excited. He knew what he was doing."

"I'm not surprised that he would be good…And #6?"

"Hmm. It took him a while to approach me. He just stood there and I started crying for some reason. I think I was just tired. Anyway, he comforted me and then kissed me. It was very nice…At the beginning I thought he didn't like me, but in the end I think he does…at least a little."

"The old comfort-her-kiss-her routine, huh? Classic move." Amou smiled. "Sorry you were crying" She pouted in sympathy before getting to the next order of business. "So, have you decided who you want to go on a date with?"

"Oh Boy" Kaho sighed. "All of them."

"That's great!" Amou laughed. "I wish I were you right now!"

"Well, I don't know about that. It all feels pretty complicated."

"Nah, don't sweat it. I'll help you whenever you want."

"Thanks Nami. So what should I do next?"

"Well, make sure that you know who you want to go out with, and then decide in which order. You and I will talk on the weekend and that's when I will tell you who was who. I told the guys that I would let them know the results on Monday."

* * *

Kahoko and Amou met at a pastry shop Saturday afternoon. Once they were comfortably seated at a corner booth with their cakes and tea in front of them, Amou took a deep breath before revealing the boys' identities. All along Kaho had been trying not to guess about who the boys were, because she didn't want to be wrong about it and be stuck with wrong impressions. So as Amou told her each of the boys' names, she was quite surprised.

"Are you ready?...So, think back to #1 and remember what he was like, okay?"

Kahoko nodded. "Yes; got it…"

"That was Hihara Kazuki."

Kaho's jaw dropped. "Oh my! What a sweetheart. He was so nice to me. He obviously likes me a lot. I feel like finding him now and giving him a hug…But we kissed! Now that I know who he is, how can I face him?"

"You'll have to get used to that feeling, Girl, because there are 6 guys that you see almost daily, that have intimate knowledge of your lips…and possibly other parts of your body, although you haven't yet shared that with me."

Kahoko kept mute.

"How was Hihara's kissing technique?"

"I don't think he had done it before, but he had a knack for it..."

"They say that musicians that play wind and brass instruments are good kissers. Something to do with how much exercise their lips get."

"Oooh..."

Amou could hardly wait to see her friend's reaction to her next bit of news. "Can you remember #2?" She took Kaho's instant blush as confirmation. "That was Yunoki Azuma."

The violinist's face displayed a fascinating series of expressions as she digested the news. "Yunoki-sempai? I'm not surprised that his actions were so intimate and bold...but he's never been very nice to me. He mostly teases me, and I've always had the impression that he disliked me. This time, though, he was so sweet to me at the end. He must like me a little, I think...I'm relieved that he doesn't hate me...Oh Gaaaw! The things we did! Maybe I should transfer to a different school!"

"Just go out with him on a date. That's the best way to deal with him…"

"He was so intimate with me! Mr. Perfect Student Council....Embarrassing, embarrassing..."

"I don't know what _you're_ so embarrassed about. _He's_ the one who was initiating things, right?...Are you _ever _going to tell me what he did to you?..."

"Uhh, he...kissed my neck..." She couldn't go any further. "Sorry, Nami. It's too intimate. I'm sure to you it wouldn't be a big deal, but for me it was."

"Fine. Be that way." She stuck her tongue out at her friend, the innocent. "Now do you remember #3, the first guy for whom you requested a time extension?"

She sighed. "Yes. It was Tsuchiura-kun, wasn't it?"

"You knew?"

"Yes. I don't know how I knew, but I did." She sighed. "I think he feels quite deeply about me."

"He would, what with being your friend as well. You've been through a lot together."

She didn't want to share the details of their encounter because to her it would feel like violating his trust. "Uh, who was #4?"

Amou knew why she was changing the subject, but went along with it anyway. "You're not going to believe this. It was Tsukimori-kun."

"Aiiiii!....Are you kidding me? Are you serious?...I never would have thought that he would participate!.......How can we have lessons together anymore?"

"He's probably just as embarrassed as you, if not more. He's leaving the country soon, anyway, so you won't have to face him for long."

"He'll be really weird with me now, I just know it! I don't think I can face him!"

"Look; he did kiss you, right? And he was getting into it, yes? Did he show you any affection at any point?"

Kaho thought back..."When he touched my face he was gentle...oh yes, and he kissed my hand before he left."

"There you go. He likes you. And you've probably blown his narrow little world wide open. Don't worry. He'll be fine."

"Change the subject. Change the subject!...Who was #5?"

The journalist chuckled. "The guy was the talented hands was Kaji Aoi."

"O.M.G! Wow. He was really romantic! So that was my buddy Kaji-kun, huh? I never would have thought..."

Amou watched her friend get lost in reverie for a few moments, then revealed "#6 was Etou Kiriya."

The violinist's eyes flew wide open. "Etou-kun? Really? He's such an antisocial guy! He doesn't like me. He's so impatient with me…and critical. Why would he want to kiss me?"

"Boys are weird; what can I say. As I recall, you said he was hesitant at first."

"Yes, that's right. But he was so generous in comforting me later…And then he seemed to like kissing me."

"Did you enjoy his kisses?" Amou asked provocatively.

"Yes, I did. I liked all of their kisses…Amou, what am I going to do now? I like all of them! How can I date all of them?"

"Well, I have some thoughts about that. First; remember that the boys don't know how many competitors there were. It would be best to keep it that way. I told each of them that there were two guys involved, and next time I will say that there was a third one, just to give us a buffer in case a couple of them talk to each other. But we need to keep the real number secret, even as you're dating each of them."

"What if I really like one of the guys and I want date him and forget the others?"

"Yes, so here is where you need to have a talk with yourself. You owe it to yourself to give each of them a chance in a date situation. And it will be nice for them, too, since they all seem to like you. It will give them a chance to get to know you better and to be at their best. I'll make it clear to them that you're dating 3 guys and that it's very casual. It's not meant to be a confirmation of anything, except that your encounter with them made you curious enough to see them again."

"I guess it would be nice to get to know each of them better."

"Also, with Tsukimori being one of your candidates, you may decide to see him first since he's going away soon. If he'll let you. He may not want to."

"True…that's true. He may not want to."

"Do you feel up to asking him out? I'm generally happy to arrange your dates for you, although I wonder if he wouldn't prefer you to ask him personally."

"Yikes! You're probably right, although I'll be so embarrassed. How should I do it?"

"It doesn't have to be as uncomfortable as you think. Just write him a simple note saying that you expect that he's too busy practicing, but that if he would like to spend some time with you some evening, you'd enjoy that. If he doesn't get back to you, you'll assume that he's too busy."

"That's good. A note means that I don't have to be as embarrassed in finding the words to say…and he can take his time thinking about it."

"If he does go for it he may suggest a venue, but because you're the one asking, you should have some ideas ready in case he doesn't."

"Do you think the other boys will ask me about their dates?"

"I'll contact each of them, saying that you'd like to go on one date with them, and that you or I will get back to them about when. Hopefully they won't talk to you before then, but you should prepare yourself just in case. If someone does talk to you, remember not to reveal who else you're seeing, or how many boys kissed you."

"Got it."

"Here's the list I made with the boys' names and which order you saw them in. You might want to add your own notes to it." She handed Kaho a very professional-looking document with a cute border containing hearts and scrollwork.

"Thanks. Nami, do you think the boys will expect to kiss me when we're on our dates?"

"Who knows. They might feel more free to kiss you now that 'the ice has been broken', so to speak. Or they might feel a bit awkward now that you're not blindfolded and can see who they are."

"Do you think that they might try to take advantage of me and get more physical because I've already kissed them?"

"You mean, will they think you're easy? I really don't think that would happen. These boys truly seem to like you, and they're not a-holes. But if they tried something, you could say that you're not comfortable going so fast. Do you have someone in mind, that you think might get too aggressive?"

"Hmm…Yunoki-sempai, maybe. He was so assertive and seemed to like being in control, but then afterward he was really sweet…Tsuchiura-kun was just barely in control of himself, but I know he would never hurt me…I guess I'm not too worried about anyone in particular."

"You can always call me, you know. Excuse yourself to the washroom and I'll give you whatever advice you need. We're in this together."

"Thank you Amou."

* * *

**Author's Note:** So, how did you do with your guesses? Any surprises?

**I have a request.** Just so I know for future intimate scenes, will you share with me who would have turned you on the most or who you would have picked? Now I mean **based on how they kissed her etc**, as opposed to who your favorite La Corda guys are. In other words **if you yourself were blindfolded** and kissed by these 6 guys, who would be your favorite(s) and why?

Thanks! I'm curious to see if I'm on point with my love scenes.

xoxo Maria


	5. Chapter 5

_Kahoko's first day back at school after having kissed 6 boys and finding out their identities. Yikes! Now she has to deal with their expectations and weird behavior..._

* * *

Amou began calling the guys to tell them that Kahoko would be going on a date with them soon. There had been a recent addition to the candidates (she said) so there were two other boys involved. With everyone's schedules it might take a few days for the date to happen. Either she or Kahoko would be in touch. A couple of the guys wanted to take matters into their own hands, but Amou said that Kahoko had already made up her mind about the order and wouldn't entertain any other agenda. This was in fairness to all the participants so they would have equal chances. Amou also told the guys that Kahoko now knew who was who. She would be dating each of the guys once before considering 2nd dates.

* * *

Monday was a trying day for Kahoko. Everywhere she turned there was a boy who had recently kissed her! Each of them was behaving oddly and the air was charged with unspoken feeling. She tried to keep her attitude neutral and friendly, but it was a challenge for her.

The first encounter was almost with Yunoki. His car pulled up alongside her on her way to school in the morning. She couldn't face him yet, while her memories of their steamy encounter were still so fresh. Instead, she ignored the car and sprinted the rest of the way. Hopefully she could pull herself together before she saw him again. She knew that he wouldn't tolerate her distance for long.

She stopped inside the gate to catch her breath while Yunoki was dealing with his girl fans. She felt a warm arm around her shoulders as Tsuchiura greeted her. "Why are you in such a hurry? You're actually early." He seemed more familiar with her than usual. Certainly the arm around the shoulder was new.

"I guess I didn't realize that I wasn't late."

He looked like he wanted to say something but talked himself out of it. He released her shoulders and reached to ruffle her hair, although it was different, almost like a caress. "See you later."

"See you, Tsuchiura-kun." She smiled warmly at him and saw the relief in his eyes before he turned and left.

In home room, Kaji-kun merely said "Good Morning" but throughout the class she felt his eyes on her. Whenever they made eye contact he seemed dreamily content. The responsibility she would have to bear as a result of kissing all these boys was really starting to hit her.

Later that morning there was a meeting at the music school regarding an upcoming concert. For the moment she ignored Hihara-sempai's puppy dog eyes because she was certain that Yunoki would corner her after the meeting. Fortunately for her, Kanazawa called Yunoki aside to discuss something. Kahoko bolted out of there before any of the boys could talk to her.

* * *

At lunchtime she noticed Kaji-kun noticing her but she sat with Mio and Nao and Nami. "We need an update, Kaho-chan!" squealed Mio. "You haven't told us anything since Thursday."

Nao regarded Kahoko sagely. "Kaho-chan seems tired and stressed, Mio. Let's give her a bit of peace for now."

"Thanks, Nao. I can't believe how trying this is. It's not like worrying about one person's feelings. I've got 6 guys to worry about! I've been bumping into them all day and they're acting strange. I guess it's to be expected, but I wish I weren't so sensitive."

"Try not to worry too much" Nami said soothingly. "I've warned all of the boys to be on their best behavior and to give you some space until their date is set."

Kahoko sighed. "I don't want to talk about it any more right now. Do you girls mind? We'll catch up later, I promise."

"Of course" Nao said, and Mio nodded. The rest of the conversation centered around Nao's upcoming birthday party and Kahoko was relieved to be able to eat her lunch in relative silence.

* * *

On her way out of the cafeteria Kaji intercepted her. "Will you come for a walk with me?" he asked. "Do you have a few minutes?" She looked up and him and decided. "Yes, sure."

When they got outside he said "You must be feeling a lot of strain today."

"Yes." She was so relieved that someone had pinpointed her emotional state. "Thanks."

"I can imagine how you feel, having had such new and intimate experiences last week and now having to deal with the emotions that have come up and the responsibility of not hurting people's feelings."

She stopped in her tracks and tears began to fall. She felt like he had single-handedly lifted a huge portion of the burden from her shoulders. He put his arms around her and stroked her back. "Thank you for understanding, Kaji-kun" she sniffled into his embrace.

"You're very welcome, Hino-san. I want you to know that you don't need to worry about me. Whatever you decide is fine. But either way let's always be friends, okay?"

"Okay…but isn't it difficult for you to wait…knowing that I'll be seeing other boys too?"

"Nah. It would be more upsetting for me to lose your friendship over a misunderstanding. No matter what, let's always be able to talk to each other, okay?"

"Yes. I'll remember…Thank you." She straightened and he released her. They walked a while longer, talking happily about this and that. It was amazing how much better she felt, just because he was so perceptive and empathetic.

* * *

That night Kahoko wrote a note for Tsukimori-kun just as Amou had outlined. She addressed it to "T" and signed it "H" for somewhat more anonymity in case the note ever fell into the wrong hands.

* * *

At her violin lesson with him later the next morning he was acting a bit strange…which was understandable. He stared at her a lot and spoke less than usual, if such a thing was even possible. Every time she finished playing a passage, she would catch him looking at her with either a perplexed or soft expression before issuing his instructions. She was just relieved that she was still able to have a lesson with him.

At the end of the hour as he was packing up his violin, she walked to him and handed him the envelope. "You can read it later" she said. He looked at her with a puzzled expression as he took it, then left.

* * *

After lunch she ran into Hihara in the courtyard. He was looking quite emotional, with maybe a mixture of adoration and apprehensiveness. They stood face to face for a couple moments before she asked "How are you, Hihara-sempai?" She felt the need to comfort him somehow, make him relax with her.

He seemed surprised to hear her saying something so normal. But he was relieved to be able to fall into a familiar pattern. "I'm fine, thanks…Uh, how are you?"

"Fine, thank you." She flashed him a big smile. "Well, I'm not completely fine, but I'll survive." She walked to a nearby bench and he followed.

He looked concerned. "What's wrong?" He was ready to spring into action, to fight whatever dragon she needed slaying.

"It's nothing big, really." After a moment's hesitation, she went with her instinct and decided to share a bit with him. "Meeting with you and the others last week was almost too much excitement for me."

"You mean, meeting…..in that practice room?" He suddenly started to panic that she had regrets about it, when for him it was so special. "It was too much?"

She turned to face him and looked earnestly into his eyes. "It was really nice" she said with a warm smile for him. "Really very nice. I'm glad I did it." She could see the tension and worry leave him as he took a deep breath and returned her smile.

"I thought so too. It was…you were…I felt…" He sighed forcefully to release some of his building emotion. "It was very nice."

"It's just that I feel this big responsibility to not hurt anyone's feelings. If there are 3 boys who like me and I can only see one of them at a time, it makes me feel bad for the other two."

"I see." He wanted to say 'Pick me! I love you the more than anyone! Kissing you was the most awesome thing I have ever experienced and I want more. Now that I've had a taste of being close to you, I need you with me always!'

Instead, he reminded himself that her happiness was more important to him than his own. He looked at her for a moment before reaching over to cross his baby finger over hers on the bench. "The most important thing is for you to be happy. You know that I…" the next three words were whispered "…_care about you?_"

She squeezed his finger back before meeting his gaze. With tears building in her eyes she responded "Yes, I do. I can feel that."

"Good. I just want you to know that…Please; do what makes you happy."

"Thank you, Hihara-sempai." She took a deep breath. "You are such a good friend." She squeezed his finger one more time. "I should get to class now."

"Me too. I'll walk you back."

* * *

**Next Chapter:** Azuma confronts Kahoko...and she sets up a date with someone else


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** _Phew! There was a lot in that last chapter! Can't you just feel things getting more complicated for poor Kaho?_

* * *

At the end of the day she was dreading the inevitable tête-à-tête with Yunoki-sempai. He would undoubtedly be waiting for her, but there really wasn't a different route for her to get home. Sure enough, as she stepped out into the fresh air she could see his chauffeur-driven sedan parked just outside the gate. There was no escape. As she neared, the back door swung open. "Get in" he ordered. She complied with a sigh, and suddenly felt very tired.

"So?" he inquired enigmatically.

"What?"

"So why have you been avoiding me? I thought I made it clear that I want you…that I like you."

"Huh? You do?...you like me?" She had guessed that there was some feeling there but she didn't think that he was fully aware of it himself, let alone decisive enough to tell her.

"Pfff...How can you be so dense?" He looked irritated, pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead.

She rushed to explain. "Well, I don't know how it is for guys. Just because you kiss someone doesn't mean you like them, does it? Maybe you just feel like kissing…"

"Kahoko, this scheme of Nami's was so contrived and juvenile. Do you not realize how much I had to _lower _myself in order to participate? It's only because I like you that I had anything to do with it."

"Oh." What else could she say? His backhanded confession was SO unexpected.

"Oh, indeed." He rested his hand on her knee. "So when are you going to get rid of these other guys?"

She ignored his hand for the moment. "Get rid of them? Why?...What is it that you want?"

"I _want_ to date you." His fingers began drawing circles on her knee. "Now that I know how good we are together, I want more of you." He smiled with remembered satisfaction.

Blush was rushing across her cheeks but she was determined to follow a couple conversational threads to their conclusions. "So, you liked me before...and once we kissed, you made up your mind that you want to date me?"

"Basically. I'm not sure how much I liked you before, but you've certainly been entertaining...For me to consider _dating _someone there would have to be potential to build an intimate physical relationship. Now that I see we have chemistry I'm ready to take it up a notch."

He was way ahead of her and she felt like she was picking up breadcrumbs. "But Yunoki-sempai; even if I could get rid of the other boys and date you, we wouldn't be doing _that_!"

"That's what you think, _Liebchen_."

She let the unfamiliar endearment pass as she protested his agenda. "I am looking forward to going on_ one _date with you, but we wouldn't be able to take it further than that because of your family, isn't that right?"

He chuckled. "Did you think I was talking about _marrying _you?" He enjoyed seeing how quickly her cheeks took on deeper color. "That wasn't in the plan, but I do intend to get to know you better…a lot better."

"Hmph. Well, I promised to date the other guys once each, so I can't just 'get rid of them."

"I thought it was up to you to choose who to go out with."

"I did choose. I like them too."

He couldn't conceive of how that would be possible. How could anyone compare to him? But he caught her subtle confession. "So you like me, Kahoko?" He steered her chin in his direction and studied her lips with his liquid honey eyes. She was thinking of how to chance his perception, when he abruptly changed the subject. "Hihara is one of the candidates. Who is the other guy?"

She hung her head. "I'm not going to tell any of you who the other guys are."

Azuma tried to lift her chin so he fix her with a piercing look, but she shrugged out of his grasp. "Is it Kaji, that annoying _blonde __beach boy?_"

Slumping her shoulders, she begged wearily "Please just stop. Stop pestering me." She laid her head on his shoulder. He was a warm body. Surely he was capable of some compassion. "I'm so tired of answering questions."

He sighed and put his arm around her, resting his hand on her head. "All right. I'll let you off the hook for now…but it will cost you."

She sighed with resignation. "Whatever. I'm too exhausted to fight with you. Do whatever you want."

"Hmm, that's very tempting. I'll settle for a kiss, though." He leaned down to kiss her forehead as he stroked her hair. Tender kisses fell on each of her eyelids as he gently cradled her face in his hands. Very softly he kissed her mouth, trying to convey his affection. He was surprised when she so readily kissed him back. Together they found solace in each others touch. The meeting of their mouths was the balm that soothed their tensions and brought them closer.

He could see that she needed to get home and get some sleep. He held her for a few more moments. "Why do I like you so much?" he wryly asked himself into her hair. Sighing in anticipation of having to let go of her, he said "Get some decent food into you and go to bed early" before propping her up.

"Okay."

"And Kahoko…don't make me wait long. There's a limit to my patience."

Under normal circumstances she would tell him exactly what she thought of his arrogance, but presently she had just enough energy to nod.

"Good night, Yunoki-sempai."

"Good night, Kahoko."

On the way home, Azuma thought about her. He had always enjoyed toying with her, but underlying that was a growing affection on his part. Somewhere along the way, he had let her in. By showing her his dark side he had opened the door, and with her guileless straightforward manner she had slipped into his secret world.

* * *

The next day she still hadn't heard from Tsukimori-kun, so Amou told her she would have to expedite things for the other guys by choosing the next person to date. After all, Tsukimori may _never_ want to go out with her.

Kaho considered Yunoki to be a factor as well. With him being so demanding and impatient, it behooved her to make inroads with dating the other boys since he didn't know that there were more than three. He obviously fully expected her to 'get the others out of the way' so she could get on with the business of going steady with him. She had no intention of giving him preferential treatment but the more impatient he got, the more he could make things unpleasant for her.

Thank God all the boys weren't making trouble for her. Kaji-kun seemed willing to wait and Hihara was very sweet about giving her space. Etou…she hadn't run into him yet, and it was possible that he wasn't that eager. Tsukimori-kun hadn't responded. That left Tsuchiura-kun.

* * *

When she saw Ryotaro later that afternoon in the hall, she spoke so shyly that he had to lean down to hear her. But he broke into a big smile when he understood her invitation. He responded in kind, _sotto voce_. "Yes, I would like to go on a date with you." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Is there anywhere in particular that you would like to go?...No?...Okay, I'll come up with a couple ideas and call you tonight…Are you free to get together tomorrow evening?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I am."

He squeezed her shoulder and winked at her before leaving. She was grateful that he made it easy for her by taking the initiative for planning their date.

* * *

On her way home she was startled by a voice right behind her. "Hey Hino." She turned, to see Etou Kiriya looking fairly mellow.

"Hello, Etou-kun."

"Uhh…Are you feeling better now?"

She blushed; surprised by his concern but then remembering how he had comforted her when she was distraught. "Thanks for asking. I've got a lot on my plate, but I'm dealing with it." She smiled to lessen the weight of her words.

He stared at her, seemingly pre-occupied.

"Etou-kun, thank you for being so nice to me…then."

"What are you thanking me for? I was a jerk!"

"I didn't think so…"

"Well, you were blindfolded…" His voice lowered "Actually you looked pretty cute in that blindfold." His tone of voice had the same unique, almost-abrasive quality as when he was sarcastic with her in the past, but his words were now friendly. She realized that some of what made her judge him as critical and unfriendly was the actual timbre of his voice. Not that he hadn't been mean in the past, but now she knew to listen past the grit in his voice.

She blushed again, studying the ground for a few seconds. "Thank you."

"I would like to see you sometime, if you want." He was squirming.

"I'd like that. I was going to ask you for a date soon anyway. I'm busy tomorrow night, but I'll call you after that, all right? I have to check my schedule."

"That's fine." They exchanged phone numbers and he walked her home. On the way, they surprisingly fell easily into conversation. They talked about music, graffiti, Indian food, and photography. She was astonished at how learned he was and about his many interests. This boy that she originally thought of as merely surly and antisocial, was actually a sensitive young man with a lot of depth and intelligence. She looked forward to getting to know him better.

* * *

Tsuchiura phoned her around 8:00 pm. Before that, he spent the evening pacing, sighing forcefully, sitting at the piano to play something fast and loud, and then returning to pace around the house. His family members looked at each other in consternation, asserting that there must be a special girl involved.

"Hello, Kahoko?"

"Yes."

"It's Ryotaro."

"Hi." She liked hearing the rumble of his deep voice on the phone, so close to her ear.

"So, are you sure that you're free tomorrow evening?"

"Yes, I am."

"Good. I've been thinking...We could go see a movie...or go for a bite to eat and walk for a bit. What sounds good to you?"

"Hmm. My family won't be around tomorrow, so it would be nice to eat out instead of cooking for myself."

"Great. Shall I pick you up at 6:00 or 7:00?"

"7:00 is probably better. I've been tired lately and I'll probably crash when I get home."

"Seven it is, then. I have a few places in mind: the new noodle restaurant or that popular Greek restaurant, for example. We won't have to dress up much."

"Thanks for coming up with ideas, Ryotaro. See you tomorrow at school…and I'm looking forward to tomorrow night."

"Good night, Kahoko."

"Good night."

As she crawled into bed her mind was spinning with visions of all the boys. She reminded herself that she just needed to deal with one thing at a time…one boy at a time.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I get shivers when I think about how Azuma takes for granted that he'll have a physical relationship with her. But I'm glad that he does genuinely like her. Maybe he'll treat her better than we think.

I think Ryotaro would be such a great guy to go on a date with.

Etou is intriguing, isn't he? We're starting to see hidden depths.

**In the Next Chapter:** Len responds to Kaho's invitation. Azuma sticks his nose in again and makes a threat. And...the _SWEETEST _little getaway with Kazuki!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who answered my poll about whose kissing you would have liked best. I will definitely find this information helpful when writing future stories.

And Thanks for the enthusiastic reviews!

* * *

In the morning Kahoko spied a certain wine-haired guy along her route to school. "Etou-kun! I'm surprised to see you."

"Yeah? I live near the hospital, so this is on my way. Sometimes I go along Okinacho street but today I didn't."

She smiled. "Cool. So we live pretty close to each other...Hey, what did you think of the assembly yesterday? I was surprised to hear about the plans for a new wing…"

"Well, I knew about it already. I think that expanding the media center is a good idea."

They chatted easily until they got to school. She spied Yunoki's limo nearing the gate and wondered what he'd think about her walking companion. He was probably fuming...'One thing at a time. One thing at a time' she chanted in her head.

They were walking up the front path. "See you later, Etou-kun."

"See you."

He had been on the verge of asking if she would be into meeting up sometime during the day; for lunch or a walk. But his feelings for her were still new and confusing, and he wasn't sure how much he wanted to go out of his way. In fact he had never had feelings for a girl...not like this. All he knew was that he kept thinking about her…how it felt to hold her. He mentally shrugged. They would be going on a date soon, so no need to concern himself about it now.

* * *

There was a note in her locker from Hihara. "Do you want to go for a walk during 4th period? 045-981-9897 - Kazuki."

She texted his number as she walked to her first class. "Yes. Where?"

His answer came almost immediately. "South courtyard 2:00?"

"C u then" she replied. Her social life was really picking up, and she hadn't even been on a date yet!

* * *

Kaji arrived at homeroom just as she did. He briefly put his hand on her back. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"I'm fine, thanks" she replied, smiling gratefully.

During class they made eye contact a few times and his smiled kindly at her.

* * *

On her way to the next class she checked messages. There was one from Amou, saying that she should decide who the next guy should be and ask him out today. Kahoko felt weird about considering the next date when she hadn't even had her first one, but she reminded herself that all of the boys were probably eager to have their dates. She had already decided to ask Etou next. Hopefully she would see him again sometime today.

She was looking forward to tonight. It would be her first date ever, and she knew how much Ryotaro cared about her. She was probably luckier than most girls going on their first date, although the situation was a little backwards. Usually the date would come first, _then_ the first kiss. In her case it was 6 kisses with 6 boys, then her first date with one of them!

* * *

She was practicing violin during 3rd period when Tsukimori entered. She waited as he stared at her for several moments, then walked closer and stared some more with his mouth on the verge of saying something. "Tsukimori-kun?"

He finally lowered his head and spoke softly. "Thank you for your note...Would you like to go to a concert with me on Sunday night?"

"Yes! I would like that."

She thought she saw the trace of a smile, or at least some expression of relief.

"I will pick you up at 6:30...Is that all right? We'll be going to Minato Mirai concert hall to hear some chamber music."

"6:30 is fine. Thank you."

"See you then."

"See you."

Once he'd left she let out a sigh. He did want to see her after all. She was glad. It would be nice to spend some time with him outside of school.

* * *

No sooner had she turned back toward her music stand when the door opened again and in strode the lavender-haired... "Yunoki-sempai!"

He walked adroitly to her and put his arm around her waist, leading her to the piano bench. "I just saw Tsukimori leaving here. Is he the 3rd guy? I can't imagine him being any good as a lover."

"Don't talk about him like that! And I'm not telling you one way or another, so stop asking who the 3rd guy is."

"Maybe it's Etou. I saw him with you this morning. You're a very popular young lady these days."

She kept her lips zipped. He was good at baiting her but she wasn't playing into his hands this time. If she let even one hint slip about there being more than 3 guys, he would make her life miserable.

He could see how resolute she was. "All right, all right. I'll leave you alone...Now put those down."

He took her violin and bow from her and placed them on top of the piano. His arm slipped back around her waist and pulled her close as he kissed her temple. Cupping her jaw, he kissed her gently on the lips. The weight of the world began to melt away for her. Yunoki-sempai wasn't always the easiest person to deal with, but when he touched her she couldn't think of anything else. His lips and hands always seemed to know what sensual story they wanted to tell, and she was happy to follow him. She had almost slipped into bliss when suddenly it occurred to her that any of the other boys could walk into the room at any moment! It would be awful if Ryotaro came in on the very day of their date and saw her kissing Yunoki-sempai! She pulled away with a jolt.

"What's wrong with you?" He was frowning and she guessed that his feelings were probably a little hurt.

"I'm sorry. It's too public here. Someone could see us."

"You mean one of the other guys could walk in on us." He scowled at her but realized she was right. He would hate to upset Kazuki, who was at best a sensitive soul. "Hmm, I'll have to think of some more private spots for us…Have you gone on a date yet?"

She looked at him cautiously and tried to decide the best way to answer him so he couldn't interfere. "I have one soon."

"Good Girl. Get them out of the way quickly and then come to me…And Kahoko; you'd better not be kissing these other guys or you'll have me to answer to."

He kissed her hand and left.

That was a last-minute bombshell! She didn't know if the other guys would want to kiss her on their dates or not, but she was planning to go with the flow. These guys liked her, and she wanted each date to be special before she rejected 5 of them. She certainly wasn't going to manipulate events to suit the purple prince's agenda.

She then realized how close a watch he would be keeping on her relationship with Hihara. She wondered if there was anything in particular that she should watch out for. In the very least, Hihara would be keeping him informed about when their date was and probably a lot of details too. Yunoki would be able to pry out any information he wanted from his friend. And he would never forgive her if she ever hurt the trumpeter. Talk about pressure!

* * *

Hihara was waiting for her in the south courtyard when she arrived shortly after 2:00. He had a warm smile for her. "Shall we walk, Kaho-chan?"

"Mm!" she affirmed. They headed away from the school to walk along the creek. It wasn't a path she had taken before. Hihara led her through the tall grass, between swaying trees, until they reached the gurgling water.

"Sugoi!" she exclaimed. It was a lovely peaceful spot. The noises of the city seemed to have disappeared in favor of swishing leaves, trickling water, croaking frogs, buzzing dragonflies. From the outside, this area looked like a bunch of scraggly overgrowth, but being within it was a little a piece of paradise.

Hihara was pleased with her reaction. "This is one of my favorite places. There's a good place to sit over here…" He held the tall grass aside for her as they made their way further up the creek. When they reached a group of large boulders along the water's edge, he held out his hand to help her onto them. He kept her hand in his until she was safely seated, and reluctantly let go as he sat down next to her.

For weeks this had been the place he came to daydream about her. When stress built up from classes or from his musical studies, he would escape to this spot and imagine sitting peacefully with his arm around her. He always left here with a serene smile on his face.

The boulders were warm from the sun and Kahoko felt herself quickly falling into a nature-induced trance. Her vision narrowed and the sounds of the creek seemed to get louder. After a few moments of watching her eyelids flutter, Hihara impulsively moved closer and gently wrapped his arms and legs around her so she could lean on him. She did so willingly, and within seconds she was asleep against his chest. He felt his heart bubbling with happiness. He had brought her to his favorite place and she was in the circle of his embrace. He knew that this was a stolen moment among her encounters with other men, but he felt lucky. He stroked her hair, laid his head against hers and counted his blessings.

* * *

It was hard for her to fully wake up. The sounds of the creekscape seemed to envelope her completely. Or maybe it was Hihara-sempai's arms that enveloped her. He held her to him as long as he could, waiting for her to completely surface from sleep. She made the drowsy mistake of looking up at him and was riveted by the tender expression on his face so close to hers. She felt herself drowning in those big amber pools of his. Before she could decide what to do or say, his mouth was on hers in a sweet kiss. He was so soft and warm and she wanted more. She leaned into him and tasted his lips...and his tongue. She traced his cheekbone with her fingers. She had such a soft spot for this boy, and the love he had for her was addictive. He felt so good to be close to.

Then she suddenly remembered that she should be more careful not to lead him on. Until she chose someone to go steady with, she should avoid getting too close to any one person. Especially Hihara-sempai who wore his heart on his sleeve.

She pulled away gently, leaving a hand on his cheek for an extra couple moments. "I'm sorry. It's too fast…"

He shook his head in self-chastisement. "Yes, it's too fast. I'm sorry too. It's just that…"

"I know..." She interrupted gently. She thought that changing the subject might brighten his mood. "I should be free after the weekend. Would you like to get together then?"

"Yes!" He happily grasped the promise of setting a definite date to be with her.

"I'll know my schedule better in a day or so. Shall I call you?"

"Yes, you have my number. What would you like to do?"

"It doesn't matter what. I'm sure we will have fun, regardless. If the weather is nice, would you like to do something outside?" He was such an outdoor guy and she wanted him to be in his element.

"Okay! I'll think up some things for us to do."

"Good…we should get back…"

He sighed. "Yes, of course." He stood and held out his hand for her to take as she got up. He wondered if it would be the last time.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Waahh! If Kaho doesn't pick adorable Kazuki, I'll be so upset. He's soooo sweet and loving. I don't want him to get hurt!

Etou does seem interested in Kaho, seeing as he himself actually suggested a date. Can you guess what kind of date he will take her on?

I'm glad that Len's going to go for it. He needs to do _something _other than violin for a change. You can't be a superb musician without having had a broad range of life experiences.

Kaho's relationship with Azuma is interesting. To paraphrase a line from one of my other stories; how strange to find comfort in the arms of a man that drives you crazy.

**Next Chapter:** Azuma tries to interfere with Kaho and Etou's date plans. Ryotaro is typically Ryotaro on his date with his redhaired sweetheart.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** So far I've got 10 more chapters waiting in the wings. The story is mostly there, but I can be an obsessive editor. I keep tweaking the details. Some of the best bits happen at the last minute.

I am considering doing alternate endings because I don't want any of the boys to get left out.

I can't believe I've gotten this far! I used to think that I was only capable of really short stories :)

Things get more lemony as the story progresses. Couldn't help myself after all. With so many boys to write, it would be boring if they refrained from getting intimate, in my opinion

* * *

As she left the school after last class Kahoko noticed Etou waiting for her just inside the gate, looking as intense as usual. But she knew how to see the warmth in his violet eyes. "Do you want to walk together?" he asked.

"Mm!" she agreed, looking forward to some stimulating conversation on the way home. As they passed through the gate she spotted Yunoki's limo and wondered if he would interfere. Nothing she could do but ignore it for now. Yunoki might or might not be waiting for her, but Etou approached her first.

She and Etou headed up the road together. They didn't get very far before the limo pulled onto the shoulder ahead of them. Azuma got out and approached them with a smile. "Hello Hino-san. Hello Etou-san ... Hino-san, I need to speak with you privately about something. I can drive you home afterward."

She had enough experience with him to guess what he was up to and what her options were. "Yes, that will be fine, Yunoki-sempai. I'll join you in a minute...Etou-kun, there's something that I would like to talk to you about before I go…"

She turned to Azuma. "I won't be long. Please excuse us for a moment." She waited for him to get the hint and he inclined his head graciously. "Certainly" he said before returning to the car. His blood was boiling, but he had no choice but to cooperate.

Etou was a little puzzled as he sensed the emotional undercurrent between the two of them, but he mentally shrugged it off. Might have imagined it.

"Etou-kun, I've checked my schedule and now I can set up a date with you. I have free time tomorrow or Monday or Tuesday. Do you still want to get together?"

"Yeah, I have something in mind for us. I have to check into something first, but I have your phone number. I'll call you later."

"Great. If I'm too busy to answer the phone, we can always text each other…I'd better go…I'm sorry that our walk got interrupted."

As they neared the vehicle Azuma got out and opened the door for her. "Etou-san, may I offer you a lift?" Of course he knew that Etou would likely decline.

"No thanks. Goodbye Hino-san."

She waved from inside the car before pulling the door shut. As they were driving away she met the eyes of the boy next to her. "Why are you frowning at me, Yunoki-sempai?"

"I can't believe you let that guy kiss you!"

"Who said he kissed me?"

"You were arranging a date with him, weren't you? So he must be the 3rd guy."

"It's none of your business." She was getting sick and tired of his inquisition.

"Whatever... Arguing with you isn't what I had in mind. Come here." He grabbed her hand, using it to pull her toward him, then kissed her palm. Their faces softened as they regarded each other with anticipation. He pulled her closer still and softly pressed his mouth to hers. With a contented sigh she gave herself to him. Returning his kisses had become a pleasurable reflex on her part, and it wasn't long before they were deeply into each others embrace.

"Don't leave" he whispered into her hair as he combed his fingers through it. "Let's spend the evening together."

"I can't. My Mom wants me home for dinner and I have lots of homework." All of which was true, although in this case it was a cover for her date with Ryotaro.

He considered pressing the issue but opted instead for maturity. "All right; Go."

"See you!" she chirped as she reached for the door handle, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him once more. After kissing her soundly and possessively he released her and again said "Go."

* * *

Kahoko was excited about seeing Ryotaro. It was going to be her first date ever. Unlike most girls she wasn't nervous about the kiss, because she had more than enough experience. She was nervous about being on a date, and about seeing her friend in a different light. What if things became all awkward between them?

She put on a bit of makeup, and a casual but feminine jersey dress in a pistachio color. Since they would probably go for a walk afterward, she brought a crocheted cardigan and slipped on her comfortable pair of chocolate-colored mary-janes.

Ryotaro arrived at 6:58, looking her up and down appreciatively when she answered the door. He was wearing a crisp deep purple cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and pants that looked comfortable but smart enough for a restaurant. She noticed afresh how handsome he was. He was usually in either a school uniform or wearing athletic gear, and now in slacks and button-down shirt he looked very much like a man. The thought gave her delicious goosebumps, especially as she remembered their passionate tryst in the practice room.

She locked the front door and he rested his hand on her back as they walked out to the car. He held the door open for her, saying "My sister lent me her car tonight." Kahoko watched him as he walked around to the driver's side, drinking in this new image of him. He lowered himself into the seat and fastened his seat belt. "Are you hungry?"

"Famished!"

"Good" he smiled. "Noodles, Greek, or something else?"

"Mmm...Greek!"

"Greek it is. Have you ever been to Olympia restaurant?...No? It's good. Their flaming cheese is excellent."

On the way they conversed about school, the World Cup, and Beethoven. The whole time, they were stealing secret admiring glances at each other. He loved how sweetly feminine she looked. She admired his tanned forearms behind the steering wheel.

* * *

The restaurant was a cozy little family-run place. Following behind the hostess to be seated, Kahoko felt the newness of the situation, making her feel a little self-conscious. Her first date. Ryotaro pulled out the chair for her. Sitting across from her, he smiled, covered her hand on the table and said "You look very nice, Kahoko."

"Thank you. You look nice too." She could feel the heat spreading across her cheeks but was determined to maintain some self-control. "It's refreshing to see each other in different surroundings, isn't it?"

"Yes; exactly what I was thinking." He grinned, sat back and picked up his menu. He was relieved that he wasn't nervous. She made it easy to be relaxed with her.

They ordered a variety of appetizers to share: Spanakopita, Pita bread with Tsatsiki and Hummus dips, Dolmades. He pushed the dishes toward her, gesturing for her to help herself first. He enjoyed watching how delighted she was with each taste. She obviously really enjoyed her food. The waitress also brought Saganaki (flaming cheese), saying "O-pa!" as she put the flame out with lemon juice.

* * *

A little over an hour later they had eaten everything and talked quite a bit about their families. She observed aloud "It sounds like you and your family are very close."

He nodded. "We laugh a lot, too...And I know they always have my back."

"That's a good feeling, isn't it? And I'm sure you'd do anything for them too."

"I would..." There was a silence as he thought 'I would do _anything _for _you_.' He could picture her at their next family dinner. They would love her every bit as much as he did.

"Do you feel like a walk?" he asked.

"Yes, definitely."

"Do you want to do the Sky Walk...or the Landmark mall is nearby?..."

"It's a warm enough evening. The Sky Walk would be nice."

"Good."

They were soon strolling across the bridge, admiring the water, ships, the city skyline…each other. At one point as they were leaning against the railing to watch boats go by, Ryotaro put his arm around her. "Are you cold?" She smiled up at him. "Not really." He held onto her for a while longer anyway and she didn't mind at all.

As they headed toward the other end of the bridge Ryotoro enclosed her hand in his and rubbed it affectionately with his thumb. Once they had descended to the small park on the shore, they neared a bench and he beckoned for her to sit down with him. He sat facing her and she could see the emotion building in his face as he began sharing what was in his heart. "You are very dear to me, Kahoko."

She smiled encouragingly. "I remember what you said in the practice room…"

"At the time, did you know it was me?"

"I did pretty quickly. I was surprised to be kissing you, because I would have thought that such a thing would be awkward for us. But it felt really good...you felt really good...I was also surprised about how serious you seemed to be about me."

He let out the breath he had been holding as he caressed her hands in his. "I _am _serious about you, Kahoko. I'm sorry I got so carried away. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable. I was just so relieved to be able to...to _touch _you...All these weeks and months you seemed to think of me only as a friend…when actually I wanted us… to be a couple."

"I guess I did only think of you as a friend."

"_Did_, in past tense?..."

"_Now_ I can see what a great boyfriend you would be..."

"_Would be_?...Hmm, I'm not feeling completely encouraged…"

She was keenly aware of the potential for misunderstanding and hurt. A person like Ryotaro would want her to be honest with him, but she chose her words carefully. "I'm seeing other guys besides you. Because of how we all… 'met' in that practice room, there's a feeling of...closeness...that wouldn't usually be there. Everything is so emotional. Now I can see that the downside to Amou's plan is that I am suddenly very close to too many boys at once. It's confusing for me...for everyone, I'm guessing. I feel a big responsibility to be careful with everyone's feelings, and to be fair."

Ryotaro was looking somber. "Of course I don't like the position that you're in now because I want you for myself. I feel...entitled because I've been waiting so long and because we already have a relationship...a friendship." He ran his fingers through his hair. "On the other hand, you and I probably wouldn't be together this evening if it weren't for Amou's scheme. You wouldn't know how I feel...It's my own fault that I waited too long to tell you how I feel…"

She leaned forward and put a hand on his knee. "I'm so sorry that I can't give you an answer yet. You've been waiting a long time and yet I have to consider the other guys too. I can see how that must be frustrating for you."

He covered her hand with his. "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. I know that you're doing your best to be considerate. You always do…I don't suppose you can tell me who my competition is?..."

She smiled kindly. "No, I'm not telling anyone."

"I thought that was probably the case. I guess that's fair." He softly rubbed her hand as he looked at her intently. "I don't know what these other guys have to offer, but I will do anything to make you happy. You're so important to me, Kahoko. You have been, ever since we met. I've tried to be a good friend to you..." She nodded emphatically. "I want to be there for you as a lover too...if you'll have me."

There was a moment of silence as she fought with her tendency to rouge. She saw his gaze become warm and focused before he slid a hand under her thighs and lifted her up onto his lap to lean in the curve of his arm. With one hand cupping her jaw and the other hand at her waist, he looked at her lovingly before slowly leaning in to cover her mouth with his. He wanted to prove to her that unlike the other day, he did have some self control. Beginning with gentle kisses, he made tender love to her lips for a while before pressing in more deeply. She enjoyed the flow of his physical attentions: his mouth and tongue stroking hers, his large hands moving sensually around her body. As she felt more and more at home in the warmth of his broad chest, she was purring with contentment.

When they stopped kissing, he couldn't refrain from cradling her close and kissing the crown of her head repeatedly. She vowed to remember this feeling when she was deciding between the boys. This feeling of being so loved and cared for, so safe and warm, knowing that his focus was on her happiness and well-being.

Almost as if reading her mind, he lifted her chin to gain her eye contact. "You'll remember that I love you?" She smiled with gratitude as she touched his cheek. "I will. How could I forget?" This mature, capable, talented, passionate man loved her. She would be lucky to have him.

After several more minutes of blissful closeness they finally disentangled and walked hand in hand back across the bridge and to the car. He drove her home and walked her to the door, kissing her earnestly before driving away.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ryotaro is awesome. I think he's got it all going on. When I first read LCD I couldn't imagine Kahoko with anyone else.

How fortunate for Etou Kiriya that he lives near Kahoko. Seeing her twice a day on their walks to and fro gives him an advantage. They can get to know each other well, in a comfortable atmosphere. Funny how he suddenly takes her route to school all the time now :) I forget who it was that once told me "If a guy likes you, he'll find a way to be with you all the time." That's true, in my experience.

Azuma can be so controlling! But it looks like Kahoko is learning how to handle him. She'd better. With someone like him it's either sink or swim.

* * *

**Next chapter:** Kaho's date with Kiriya. I have to say that I'm falling in love with this guy. He's a tough cookie on the outside, but on the inside he's melted chocolate. People who feel vulnerable very often develop scary shells to protect themselves.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **Thank you all SO MUCH for all the great reviews. You guys are the Best! You really keep me going :)

I think that just about everybody wants me to do alternate endings and I agree that it's a great idea. But just to let you know that I'm still undecided. So much work! I don't want to commit myself yet when there are still several more chapters to go. We'll see how I feel after a while. Making Kahoko choose would be more realistic, wouldn't it? I think I know who she might go for, but you never know what will happen along the way...(for her and me)

Enjoy!

* * *

_After a lovely date with Ryotoro..._

Once she had changed into pajamas and climbed into bed Kahoko checked her phone for messages. There was one from Etou, asking if she would be into going with him to the opening of a new art gallery. He would be playing violin with the band. There would be appetizers there or they could go out for a snack afterward. The event was tomorrow night at 8:00.

It was late to be phoning him, but considering that the event was tomorrow night she decided to text him right away. "Thx. Yes, sounds fun."

Her phone rang two minutes later. "Hello?" she answered.

"Is it too late to call? You're obviously still up…" His voice seemed softer and more intimate on the phone.

"Yes, that's fine. It would be good to figure things out now."

He lay back on his bed, resting a hand comfortably on his abdomen. "The gallery and crowd will be a mix of Punk and Hippie. Do you think you'll be comfortable?"

"Really? Hmm…well I don't have any experience with that, but it sounds cool."

"A lot of them are friends of mine...and I'll be with you the whole time except for when I play two pieces with the band."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm looking forward to hearing you play!"

"Uh, okay... Can you be ready for 7:15? I'll pick you up then."

"Yes, no problem. What's the name of the gallery, by the way?"

"Jagged Hole Gallery."

Once they had said their goodbyes, she immediately went on the internet to see what she could find out. The gallery had a website with photos of the space, the artists and their works, of the band, and a very professional photo of Etou with his violin.

That made her curious about him. She thought of him as just a high school student, but maybe he also had a budding career. From what she'd heard of his violin playing so far, he was certainly good enough. She did a search of _"Etou Kiriya" violin_. Several references came up, including articles in local publications, concert announcements and his very cool-looking website. What really interested her was where one of the articles stated that Kiriya's grandfather was the multi-millionaire founder of the popular Akemi laundry soap company. Instantly she recalled several television commercials involving cute children singing an iconic jingle. Everybody in Japan knew the words to this jingle, even if they were too embarrassed to admit it.

Suddenly Kahoko's intuition led her to wonder if this might be the reason that Etou-kun had such a large chip on his shoulder. What might he have gone through when he was young? Was he expected to be like one of the kids in the commercials? Would his family expect him to sing the jingles to their guests and business associates? Was he teased in school?

No matter what exactly he endured, it was obviously enough to make him adopt a persona that was the exact opposite of a cute kid in a soap commercial. Poor Etou-kun. He must have struggled to find his own identity. Kahoko knew that she would never ask him about it for fear of dredging up painful memories, but she wondered if he would ever voluntarily share his feelings with her.

She shut off her computer and fell asleep with new empathy for her friend.

* * *

She slept in late, which she figured was a good thing. When she had shaken off most of her drowsiness she texted Hihara. "I'm free tomorrow daytime or Mon eve. Want 2 get 2gether?"

The phone rang a few moments later. "Hello?"

"Hi Kaho-chan! I got your message. Would you like to go to the Aquarium tomorrow?"

"Yes! That's a great idea! Did you check the weather forecast?"

"Yep. It's supposed to be warm and sunny. If you like I can come to your house in the morning and we can take the bus and train together."

"Great. I'm not good at getting up too early, but I think I can be ready for 10:00. Will that give us enough time?"

"Yes, of course. From your house it will probably take us about an hour to get there. We can go to the amusement park, have lunch, go to the aquarium. There will be plenty of time to enjoy ourselves."

"I'll need to be home by suppertime."

"No problem."

"I look forward to it, then. Thanks! See you tomorrow at 10:00."

"See you then. Goodbye Kaho-chan!"

"Goodbye Hihara-sempai."

* * *

She spent the rest of the day relaxing and pampering herself. Going on all these dates was tiring. Since her Mom and sister were in Tokyo all day, she had the house to herself. She put on a face mask, gave herself a manicure and pedicure, watched a romantic comedy on TV, had some ice cream while she chatted with Mio on the phone. After that she took a nap.

By dinnertime she had already laid her clothes on the bed. She had no experience with punk or hippie styles and she didn't want to take the concept too far, but it might be fun to exercise a little creativity so at least she wouldn't stand out too much. Etou-kun was so creative himself and she wanted to rise to the occasion for him. She had an off-shoulder charcoal linen blouse with lovely sleeves that were slim in the upper arm, then flared out gracefully at the elbow. The empire waist was drawstring, below which the blouse draped loosely. The charcoal color would make her hair glow. Her beloved pair of flattering grey jeans and a bit of makeup would complete the picture. Digging through her sister's jewelry box she found a pair of earrings of Moroccan design with red beads. Then she remembered a hand-embroidered fabric bracelet she had bought weeks ago, not knowing what she would wear it with, but loving it anyway. On her other hand she would wear silver rings on 2 of her fingers.

Her makeup was simple. She applied smoky black eyeliner and pale plum lipstick. She put a bit of mousse in her hair to make it fuller and give it more shape.

She was pulling on her black boots when the doorbell rang. She opened the door to see Etou, looking quite striking. He had a ragged t-shirt on under a multi-zippered jacket. He was wearing skinny black jeans that had a couple rips and some splattered paint. On his feet were these amazing wrap-around boots, a miracle of engineering that involved laces and tabs. His hair was defying gravity even more than usual.

His eyes widened as he drank in the sight of her. He was speechless for so long that she began to worry. "Do I look okay?"

"Uh, yes. You look…really amazing." Truth to tell, he thought she looked extraordinarily beautiful and he was looking forward to showing her off. "Are you ready to go?"

She was feeling relief and embarrassment as she grabbed her bag, a black shawl and her keys. "Ready!" She locked the front door.

In the car he stared at her again and she couldn't help but ask once more. "Are you sure I look all right? I didn't really know what…"

With an admiring smile he leaned over, covered her hand with his and kissed her cheek. "You're perfect. You look beautiful…I can't wait for my friends to meet you."

"Oh!" Now she was really embarrassed, but satisfied that at least she wasn't going to embarrass him. "Thank you."

* * *

He found a parking spot about 3 blocks away from the venue. After helping her out of the car he offered her his hand and they walked companionably down the street. Throughout the evening she would be continually surprised by how attentive he was to her. He certainly seemed to be trying to make sure that she was at ease.

When they arrived at the gallery there was a large poster of 'Etou Kiriya with And Band'. Inside, the building was very alternative. There was a 'jagged hole' in one of the walls, a few metallic sculptures hanging here and there, graffiti that began on the polished concrete floor and crawled part-way up a wall, a chandelier made of dolls heads and silk flowers. The band had already set their instruments up in one corner. Etou excused himself to go talk to them. "Help yourself to some snacks. I'll be right back." He strode away with violin case in hand and Kahoko made her way to the table. In spite of being in such a unique situation with mostly older people, she decided to stuff down her nervousness and try to grow from the experience.

As she put some appetizers on her plate, she stole a few peeks at the people around her. Really, there was such a variety of looks, and she decided that she actually did fit in…somewhere in the middle between the people with black leather and piercings… and the nouveau-hippies wearing paisley and flowers.

Etou was certainly popular with this crowd. Several people said Hi to him and a couple of them seemed ready to get into a conversation, but true to his word he excused himself and returned to her side. While Kahoko munched on snacks he told her about his association with the band and the venue. When she was finished munching he asked "Would you like to meet my friends?"

"Yes!" she nodded enthusiastically. She was curious to meet anyone that he had affection for, since she had until recently found him to be such a gruff cynic. He put his hand warmly at the center of her back, guessing that she might want to feel his presence in this unfamiliar situation. He directed her to meet the band members, then several artist friends, and a couple guys that he'd been friends with since grade school. Everyone seemed surprised to see her, but were very friendly and even flattering. Etou introduced her as a friend, although some were skeptical about that. One of the young women called her 'gorgeous' and whispered in Kahoko's ear that it was rare for Kiriya to be seen with a girl. "You must be special. This morning he informed the band that he would only play two of the five songs tonight. He obviously did that so he can spend more time with you." Kahoko was dismayed that Etou-kun would make that sacrifice for her, but schooled her facial expression. He probably wouldn't want her to know that he had done that. When her escort looked at her with his deep, dark eyes, what he saw in her face was affection.

He introduced her to two of his longtime buddies; a couple of guys his age. They had recent news about a mutual friend of theirs and were dissing the guy. Kahoko was impressed that Etou was the more mature of them, saying "We don't know the whole situation, though...and we should remember that it's none of our business." One of the guys looked embarrassed and changed the subject by telling Kahoko that she was cute and asked if she and Kiriya were an item, 'cause if not…' He was interrupted when Etou put his arm around her possessively and nicely told him to back off. He steered her away, whispering in her ear "I know his track record. Trust me; you don't want to date him."

It was time for the band to play and he took her to a corner near the front, that was hidden from view of the rest of the room. At the entrance to a small side room was an art installation of a loveseat, made entirely of welded cutlery. There was a card on it that said 'Reserved', which he removed. "I'll see you in about 20 minutes." While she was waiting for the music to begin, she turned on her phone to check messages and listened to one from her Mom and sister. They had decided to stay in Tokyo to see a play. Either they would be very late getting home or they would find a hotel. It was a stroke of luck for Kahoko, who had been wondering how she would explain the guy with spiky hair who was driving her home.

She seated herself comfortably as the house lights were dimmed. One of the band members introduced Etou and the crowd burst into applause. He obviously had some dedicated fans. The lights dimmed some more and the avant-garde violinist was the only one that could be seen in the spotlight as he began weaving a meandering melody with his violin. The notes were often seemingly-unrelated to each other, and then suddenly he had woven them together and introduced clusters of sweet harmony. He was mesmerizing to watch...and listen to. A few times when he opened his eyes and looked up, Kaho could have sworn that he was looking at her. He worked the melody into a grand crescendo and then let it subside, the end of which was interrupted by the drummer's insistent beat. The rest of the band was suddenly playing, with Etou playing stunning violin solos throughout. 'His technique is as good as Tsukimori-kun's...' Kahoko thought to herself '...and he's composing it himself!' .

After his two pieces were over, Kiriya packed up his instrument and came to her. She felt a wee bit star-struck watching the charismatic performer approach her. As he sat next to her he couldn't help but check her face for a reaction, which surprised him. Why should he care what anyone thought of his music? When she smiled brightly he felt suddenly at peace. He impulsively put an arm around her shoulders as the band began the next number. After a while he found her hand and interlaced her fingers with his, resting them on his thigh. During the rest of the performance he softly stroked her hand and fingers.

Half an hour later it was over. "That's basically it" he said as music yielded to silence and then applause and crowd noise. "We don't have to stay here. Do you want to go somewhere for a drink or a snack?"

"Hmm, thanks…but I shouldn't stay out too late tonight." She had to get up early in the morning and she was already carrying a large sleep debt.

"Then maybe a bit of fresh air before I take you home?"

"That would be nice."

On their way out, a couple more people wanted to talk to him, and someone else invited them to an after-party. He politely turned each of them down, saying that he and his friend had other plans. He strapped his violin on like a backpack and held the door open for her. They began walking slowly along the twinkling street, inhaling the fresh night air, enjoying the contrasting silence. She was lost in thought, musing about how much her life had changed in two weeks, about the new kinds of experiences she was having, about how much she was growing and her self-esteem was increasing. He was studying her profile, planning to find some way of kissing her.

She suddenly turned to him and piped up "Etou-kun; your violin playing is amazing! You are so skilled and talented…and creative...so unique. I don't know very much, but I think that you must be a master at what you do."

Although his face was in shock, he was pleased with her praise. She was a sincere person and her words carried extra power because of the purity of her intention. Ordinarily he might have shrugged off the compliment with a 'what would you know' attitude, but instead he accepted it graciously. "Thanks. I'm glad you liked it."

Suddenly he took both her hands in his. "You were great tonight. My friends really liked you…I'm glad that you came…"

"Thank you…" she said shyly. "I like your friends too." Then her attention was riveted to his face, which held a kind of restrained emotion. Then she recognized _that look_; that look that she had seen a few times in the past few days; the intense look that a guy gets when he's thinking of kissing you. He spoke softly with feeling. "You look beautiful…" He drew nearer, holding her gaze. Then abruptly he was looking up and down the street before tugging on her hand. Before she knew what was happening, they were in a dark alley and she was in his arms. He was slowly stroking her back and hair as he held her to him. With her ear resting over his heart she could hear his voice taking on extra depth. "I keep thinking about that kiss." And then he was lifting her chin.

He held her face in his hands and softly stroked her mouth with his thumbs. It was an incredible sensation. She noticed the tender look on his face before she closed her eyes to better appreciate his subtle touch. Then his mouth was warming hers. One of his thumbs continued to tickle the corner of her mouth as he kissed her. His other hand was at the small of her back, holding her against him.

When he found one of her hands and brought it to his face, she remembered this same gesture from their first time in that practice room. She caressed his face as he kissed her. It felt very, very intimate. She could feel his need for closeness and she felt privileged to be invited into his vulnerable space.

This aching need of his; to be near to her, to get lost in her sweetness. She was the polar opposite of him and he was coming to the conclusion that he might be addicted to her. The more time he spent with her the more he wanted to uphold and protect her softness. Being with her was bringing out the softness in him, and right now he couldn't get close enough. He could easily make love to her right there, submerging himself in every part of her that would have him.

She was surprised when he abruptly relinquished their kiss and squeezed her tightly in his arms. "Mnnn…" he uttered from deep in his throat as he hugged her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and listened to his beating heart. He touched his forehead to her shoulder.

"Is it…is it like this with the others?" His voice sounded different now, a little defensive.

She stepped back to look at him. "The others?...Oh..." The other boys. She wanted to be careful about how she said it. "As well as you, there's someone else that I'm becoming close to…but Etou-kun, I've become very fond of you. There's something special about you. I like you a lot." Her eyes welled up and her voice caught; "It's going to be a very difficult decision."

It was the right thing to say, apparently. His face softened once more and he hugged her to his chest. The two violinists held onto each other for a long time.

Finally he felt reality impinging on his awareness. "You need to get home?"

She regretfully let go of him and looked up. "Yes."

He led her by the hand back to the car and they drove home in silence. She was reviewing what she had said to him, glad that she had found an answer that didn't hurt him more than the situation already did. What she told him was the truth, except that the 'someone else' that she was becoming close to was potentially 5 other guys! But it was true that her feelings for Etou-kun had a special feeling of depth. He was a big surprise to her. He had such a tough shell, but inside was an affectionate and tender-hearted guy. If she didn't choose him, she would be very sad to lose their special connection.

At her house he turned off the engine and gazed at her with eyes that might be at once sad and appreciative. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Goodnight, Hino-san. Thank you."

"Goodnight, Etou-kun."

* * *

Before falling into a deep sleep she had the sense to set 3 alarms so she would get up in time to get ready for her date with Kazuki.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sigh...I guess appearances can be deceiving. It seems that Kiriya is rude and flippant and critical with most people he doesn't know, but with those that get under his skin he's actually a generous friend. And he's a very tactile, sensual guy. Touch is a need of his, because it turns off his critical brain. Kaho is the only person in his life that he has elected to express that with.

I kind of think that Azuma and Kiriya grew up with similar family expectations and pressure. Azuma cooperated and Kiriya rebelled...although I'm just making this stuff up :) It's one theory.

Kaho's date with Kiriya is based on a date I once went on with my first boyfriend. He was into punk, and took me to this cool alternative art gallery one night. He was a drummer, introduced me to his friends from a dance studio that he used to play for. I remember that I had fun dressing up a little punk, although I can't remember exactly what I wore.

**Next Chapter:** It's all about Kazuki's date with Kahoko. What can I say? It's sweet :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for your wonderful Reviews! It's a long story and I couldn't keep going without all of you helping me to continually breathe life into it :) It's so fun to do this with you.  
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* * *

**In case anyone is interested in having some visuals for this chapter, I set Kazu/Kaho's date in YOKOHAMA HAKKEIJIMA SEA PARADISE, which is a real place. They have a website with some photos etc. Just Google the above title.

You can also check out the very cool real-life satellite image of it if you...

-go to Google search

-click on 'maps' (upper left)

-enter 'Yokohama Japan'

-zoom in once, until you see the blue highway marker that says 357 (it's south of that red teardrop that marks Yokohama center) Keep zooming in until you see the word Hakkeijima below near the water.

-go to the upper right of your page and click on 'satellite'. Keep zooming in. It's basically an island. You can see all the details! The rollercoaster, the aquarium buildings, the trees that K & K kiss under...etc.

Enjoy!

* * *

_The morning after her date with Etou Kiriya..._

Miraculously she jumped out of bed after the first alarm went off, because she didn't want to face the jarring headache of hearing the other two. Dragging her be-slippered feet to the kitchen, she made herself a strong coffee and proceeded to sleepwalk/get dressed. By the time the doorbell rang she was ready, or at least she hoped so. She could have been wearing two different colors of socks and not noticed.

"Good Morning Kaho-chan!" Hihara was bright-eyed and energetic. She hoped it would rub off on her. He took her bag as she tried to lock the front door. When she fumbled and dropped the keys, he scooped them up and locked the door for her. Together they walked two blocks to the bus stop. Hihara was eager to make conversation or to somehow boost her spirits, but he could see how hopeless it was. They walked in silence with him peeking sidelong at her droopy face. She was aware that she wasn't exactly being sociable, but was too out-of-it to make small talk.

Once in their seats on the bus he murmured sympathetically "You look tired."

She raised her head groggily. "I'm sorry, Hihara-sempai. Yes, I am quite tired…Do you mind taking care of me? If it's okay I would like to sleep on your shoulder. Then when we get there, hopefully I will have some energy." She realized that it was bold of her to ask to slump against him, but it was a question of practicality and need. If she was to be any kind of decent companion for him today, she had to snatch whatever rest she could.

"I don't mind at all." That was a fact. He maneuvered in his seat so that he could hold her comfortably. He opened his arms, Kahoko curled up against him and promptly fell deeply asleep. It was an unexpected gift for him, since after their kiss at the creek he had been lecturing himself to keep his hands off her. Gazing down at her cute face, all his good intentions flew out the window. As she dozed in his embrace he gently stroked her red tresses, kissed the top of her head, rubbed her shoulder. When the bus neared the train station, he woke her up by softly calling her name and combing the hair out of her face. He propped her up in her seat, helped her up by taking her hand, and kept his arm around her until they were on the train.

His heart swelled with contentment as he held her once again on the train, cherishing the quiet kitten-like noises she made in her sleep. 'I can't help it' he thought as he placed her hand in his. 'I love her. I can't pretend that I don't. If she doesn't choose me, then I will be her friend. I'll be the best friend she could ever want.' He stroked her fingers with his thumb as he tried to convince himself that he could be content with friendship.

He was well aware of Azuma's interest in her. Any girl would choose him over Kazuki. He knew that Azuma had the potential to be really good to her, too. There was obviously some true affection there. He wasn't yet as committed to her as Kazuki was, but that would come with time. It would probably happen as a result of her influence. She had a way of bringing out the best in people. She would be good for him. She might be the only person who could actually reach him.

The train had come to the end of the line and Hihara was once again waking her. "Are we here?" she inquired sleepily, stretching her arms above her head.

"We're here" he smiled indulgently.

Shortly after, they were inside the entrance gates and staring at the site map. "Did you eat breakfast?" he asked with his hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him, blinking away the bright sunlight that formed a halo around his unruly hair. "Yes. I'll be fine for at least a couple hours."

"Good. I was thinking that we could start at the amusement park, eat lunch, then go to the aquarium. It's probably not a good idea to have too much food in our stomachs when we're on the rides, so it makes sense to get them over with before we have lunch." He was proud of himself for having considered that ahead of time. Usually he was such a scatterbrain. "What do you think?"

"That sounds perfect."

They consulted the map to figure out how to get to the amusement park, then Hihara grabbed her hand. "Let's go!"

Even as she followed him, something was holding her back. As much as she enjoyed holding hands with him, she felt guilty. She didn't want to encourage him too much since she didn't yet know if she would choose him. He was so in love with her that she thought it better to err on the side of caution.

He felt her hand go slack in his and her step faltering as she was absorbed in thought. When her pensive eyes met his, he was pretty sure he knew why. He stopped and held her hands in both of his.

"Kaho-chan, I know that you can't make me any promises…I don't even expect you to choose me. I know that today is probably our only date before we return to being 'just friends.' If I promise to keep that in mind, will you let me just for today treat you as my girlfriend? It would make me happier to have special memories of being close to you, than if I have to feel bad about how we kept distance between us…What do you think? Will you be my girlfriend for one day?"

She smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "If that's what you want, Hihara-sempai. I really like being with you. I just don't want you to get hurt because of this strange situation that I'm in."

He kissed her hand. "Thank you, Kaho-chan…Do you think that today you can call me Kazuki?" He looked apologetically hopeful.

With a big grin she replied "I'll try."

They both really liked amusement parks, so the day was extra fun. Kahoko set the tone for the rest of the day when she purged her frustrations by screaming her lungs out on the vertical drop ride. Kazuki laughed, happy to see her getting into the spirit. They slipped easily into their roles as girlfriend/boyfriend. He made sure that he was always touching her, one way or another. He held her hand as they waited in line for the rollercoaster, kept his arm around her shoulder on the octopus ride, put his arm around her waist as they wandered around the shops, and kissed her temple from time to time when things were quiet.

She found it natural to be with him this way, and to make him happy she looked for opportunities to use his name in conversation. She allowed herself to admire his broad shoulders, to feel excited that he was holding her with his muscular arms and touching her with his strong hands. He was an attractive boy. When he was in one of his hyper moods, all that one could see was his big goofy smile and the bounce in his step. When he was at rest, though, he was stunningly handsome. His facial features were strong and balanced, and his soft eyes held soulful depth. There were moments when she caught him gazing at her, when her heart fluttered at the thought that she had been resting in the arms of such a hot guy!

After the thrill of going on all the rides, girl and boy were happy to spend some time in the arcade. He was familiar with many of the games and showed her how to do a couple of the ones that she was unfamiliar with. At one point he got impatient with her standing at his shoulder to watch him, and he gently pulled her down to sit between his legs. She leaned back against his chest as he played with his arms around her. He had lightning reflexes and the game went on for several minutes until he abandoned it at the urging of his growling stomach.

On their way out of the building he insisted that they stop to get some photos done in the photo booth. Moments later they were admiring the images of the two bright cheery faces of friends having a great day together.

After doing a bit of reconnaissance in the restaurant plaza, they decided on spaghetti for lunch. As she watched him inhale his food she dwelled on how comfortable it was to be with him. Everything was effortless and natural and sweet between them. They liked so many of the same things, and he was easy-going...Soon Kazu-the-sugar-enabler was dragging her to the crepe stand. She chose one with strawberries and whipped cream. His was peanut butter and chocolate. They sat on a bench, shared forkfuls with each other and watched people going by.

After lunch they ambled around the perimeter of the island. He took her hand and they walked in silence for a while. Then Kazuki asked her about her family. Kahoko launched into an enthusiastic account of what her mother and sister and brother were like. Soon they were both excitedly relating stories of their childhood and agreeing about the frustrations of being the youngest child. They lapsed into happy silence again and Kazuki swung her hand back and forth in his. "Shall we go see some fishies?" he asked, and she nodded.

The aquarium exhibits were awe-inspiring. There were shows where dolphins and whales performed, an underwater viewing tunnel, a lagoon, and more. Kahoko's favorite part was seeing the dolphins and polar bears.

They took the elevator to the top of a tower that had a 360 degree view of the island, the mainland, and the bay. As they admired the awe-inspiring scenery from a revolving room Kazuki pulled her back into his embrace and rested his chin on her head. Kahoko's troubles of the past several days seemed distant here, in the presence of the surrounding beauty, the marvels of nature, and the affection of her warm companion.

* * *

By mid-afternoon their feet were getting tired. Kazuki suggested they find a quiet place to sit so they could have some private time. Under some trees they found a secluded bench. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he rested his hand on her knee. In the stillness they thought about each other and the potential for a relationship.

He felt the words coming out of him; they were quietly true. "I love you, Kaho-chan."

She covered his hand and slipped her fingers between his. "I know, Kazuki. I feel loved...and I am very honored. Thank you." She rubbed her head against his shoulder.

She felt him lean closer, his hand coming around to cradle her jaw before he gently turned her face toward him. He looked into her eyes for a few moments with an unspoken question hanging in the air. Remembering the sweetness of their previous kisses, it was no hardship for her to give her consent. Her gaze rested on his generous mouth and she leaned forward. As their lips met she felt his love once again filling her. His kisses were so expressive of affection...and now passion. She noticed his new intensity as he broke the kiss to look at her. His amber eyes were those of a man who wanted her. His hand slipped up under the back of her shirt to make contact with bare skin. He watched for her reaction as his other hand traced her collarbone. Another question hung in the air: 'May I?'

He recognized her desire and lowered his head to the task. His hair tickled her as he nuzzled her jaw to one side so he could access her neck. She felt shivers of excitement running up and down her spine as her suitor tongued and kissed her neck, going lower...and...lower. His mouth paused against her skin as his hand slid down to lightly palm the side of her breast. His eyes rose to look into hers as he very subtly moved his hand around the curve of her. She was drowning in the suspenseful eroticism of the moment when suddenly he cupped her entirely and sank his mouth into hers. His hand was slow but deliberate in exploring her contours, and his tongue was thorough too. Kahoko had no complaints. She took pleasure in his hand on her, and his mouth that wanted her.

More than content that he had gotten that far with her, he slipped his hand around her waist and pressed his lips to her forehead. As his arms pulled her close she thought about all the things about him that were so special. If there were any doubts that Kazuki could be too sweet and submissive, they would have been dispelled in these last few minutes. Could he be the one? As her heart reached out to him, her hands caressed his face and stroked the back of his neck. "Kazuki?..."

"Yes?"

"You were my first kiss."

"I was?" That made him so happy. No matter what happened, he would know that this forever made him special to her. "Did you...did you like it, Kaho-chan?"

"It was wonderful. You made me feel cherished. It felt romantic…and loving…and comfortable. I will always treasure the memory and count myself lucky that you were my first."

With tears in his eyes he squeezed her. He spoke softly against her neck "It was my first time too. I'm so glad it was you…" He kissed her cheek and then her lips, and they kissed a while longer with new depth. Kahoko's heart swelled with emotion, a by-product of being the object of his affection.

He was keeping track of time. He didn't want to be responsible for making her late in getting home. He buried his face in her neck, saying "We should go."

* * *

The journey back was bittersweet for them both. They rode home in silence, letting their embraces and kisses speak for themselves. At the bus stop near her house she reached for his hand. A few steps later she asked "After today, may I still call you Kazuki?" After what they had shared, she couldn't imagine calling him anything else.

His serious face was transformed by a big grin. "Yes, that would make me very happy." Then he was serious again. "We will always be friends, won't we, Kaho-chan?"

She squeezed his hand. "Yes Kazuki. Friends always."

He raised her fingers to his lips. "I'm glad." Privately he thought 'I can endure anything as long as I can be your friend.'

From a distance she spied her sister's car in the driveway. She gently released his hand and kissed him on the cheek. "My family is home. I'd better go the rest of the way by myself. Thank you for such a special day, Kazuki."

"Thank you, Kaho-chan. See you at school."

As he walked home he was aware of the duality of his emotions, and chose to dwell in the happier ones.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Waaaah! Sniff, sniff. They're SO CUTE together!

Do any of you think that Kazu would make a good boyfriend?

Every once in a while I find it weird that Kaho cares intimately about so many boys at the same time. Isn't it supposed to be so clear that you would know who was 'the one' and the others would naturally fall away? Then I think about how many people I love platonically. The love I have for my brother or my friend. Powerful emotion. If you can love so many of your family members and friends, how much of a stretch is it to be 'in love' with more than one guy? Especially when each guy has wonderful unique qualities.

When it comes down to it, it's not practical to have truly intimate relationships with more than one guy, because you need to give as much of your self to one person in order to sustain a meaningful relationship. But Kahoko isn't there yet. She's just dating, and I can just imagine how intense the situation must feel to her...A girlfriend of mine was once dating two guys and was so torn between the two of them that it was killing her!

**Next chapter:** Kaho's date with Len-kun. How romantic can a chamber music concert be? Wait and see :) Some precious Len moments, as his hormones and his heart lead him in the right direction. This guy is in for an awakening that will change everything for him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **I'm still feeling all warm and fuzzy from Kahoko's date with Kazuki. Now for for a date with Mr. not-quite-so-warm-and-fuzzy...

As I'm doing the final edit of this chapter I keep going to my violin and playing Brahms, to make sure the mood is right ;)

* * *

_She has just said Goodbye to Kazuki in the street and has to quickly get ready for her date with Len..._

Kahoko sprinted into the house, intent on getting ready for the chamber music recital. As soon as she set foot in the door, though, her mother and older sister pounced on her, eager for an account of her day. She realized that she'd have to spare them at least a couple minutes. She had texted them earlier, saying where she was and when she'd be home.

"Were you with a _boy_, Kaho?" her sister wanted to know. Kahoko was secretly amused by her sister's patronizing tone. She and her Mom had _no_ _idea _what she had been up to these past couple weeks. If they only knew!

"Yes... His name is Hihara Kazuki and he's very nice. He's a trumpet player at school. We had a great time. What a perfect day for the aquarium, too. The weather was great..We're not dating, just in case you're wondering…I'll be out tonight again; I'm going to a violin concert...in fact I have to get ready now!"

The women gave each other arch looks as she whirled around to leave. Their little Kaho suddenly had quite the social life.

"Is a boy taking you to the concert?" Her mother followed her daughter up the stairs.

Kahoko continued the conversation over her shoulder as she jerked open the closet doors. "Yes. His name is Tsukimori Len. I've told you about him before, right? He's the one helping me with my violin studies…I'm not dating him either. He's moving to Europe in a few weeks."

The usually open-minded and permissive Mrs. Hino could feel her little girl slipping away, and she suddenly felt the urge to exert some kind of motherly control. "I want to meet him anyway. Make sure he comes in."

"Well, he's a pretty quiet guy and I don't know if we'll have much time, but I'll make sure you at least get to greet him. Keep in mind that I'm _not dating him_. There's no need for either of you to grill him."

"Okay, okay. It will be nice to meet someone in my daughter's hectic social life, that's all." She left the room to clear the way for Kaho's mad dash to get ready.

* * *

Since it was a night-time classical concert, Kahoko decided to take advantage of this golden opportunity to really dress up. After freshening up quickly with a washcloth at the bathroom sink, she put on her formal blue dress, which she had only worn once to her cousin's wedding. It was steel blue shot silk with a low neckline, luxurious ribbon at the waist front, and it came with matching wrap. Her sister came in to convince her to put her hair up, leaving tendrils hanging down to draw attention to her exposed neck. Blue crystal drop earrings and pearl bracelet were frosting on the cake.

With makeup she put most of the emphasis on her eyes. She lined them with smoky gray kohl pencil and put a line of subtle glitter over top. She kept her lip color matte. Kahoko thought it unlikely that Tsukimori-kun would kiss her, but with a dating/kissing track record of 3 for 3, it was better to plan ahead. He wouldn't enjoy navigating a bunch of goopy lip gloss… She couldn't believe she was thinking like this, planning to be kissed. She had changed a lot in two weeks.

* * *

Len was trying to keep his nerves at bay. It didn't help that his mother had been hovering around him ever since she found out about his date. In spite of his protestations, she kept coming up with bits of advice for him. How embarrassing. Now here he was on the front step of the Hino residence, feeling more nervous than for any violin performance he could remember. When Hino opened the door, he felt faint. She was a vision of stunning elegance. He stood there motionless, blinking. Since he couldn't have spoken if he tried, it was a good thing that she grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside. "My mother and sister would like to meet you briefly before we go."

Years of social training kicked in as he politely addressed her family. The women seemed nice enough and their eyes sparkled in a similar way to Kahoko's. After a few exchanges about the venue and the concert, he and Hino were on their way.

* * *

In the car, Kakoko admired her handsome escort as he drove. He was wearing an elegant suit in a deep olive color. She suddenly wondered what his closet looked like. He must have so many formal outfits. "What's on the concert program, Tsukimori-kun?"

Her question gave him the opportunity to steer his thoughts away from the persistent memory of kissing her. He told himself he wouldn't think about it tonight, which was futile counsel considering that he'd thought about little else since it happened. It was very disconcerting for someone like him who lived in his head, to be possessed by new urges of the body and unfamiliar twisting emotions. He was quite annoyed to be distracted at a time when he needed to prepare for Europe. Still, he grudgingly admitted that he had only himself to blame. Nobody forced him to kiss her or go on a date with her…Well actually, it _wasn't_ a date! No... He was merely furthering her musical education. And he _was not_...NOT going to kiss her again…

"Tsukimori-kun?"

"Uhm, the highlight of the program is the Mendelssohn octet. They're also doing the Brahms clarinet quintet and a Schumann piano trio. All in the Romantic genre."

"I'm looking forward to it."

'I am too' he realized. Being with her was much better than being alone, even if she always kept him guessing.

* * *

They were soon congregated with several other people waiting in the lobby for the doors to open. He took the opportunity to admire his companion. She was being her usual bubbly self, pointing at ornate bits of scrollwork on the stair railings, paintings of cherubs on the ceiling, asking questions about this and that. As much as he was usually impatient with superfluous talk, he indulged her by answering because he liked it when she looked at him.

* * *

He had made sure that their seats were in the section with the best acoustics, of course. Getting to attend a performance of the Mendelssohn octet was a rare treat, provided that it was done well. During the performance his mind did the usual assessment of the musicians' technique, interpretation and execution, but the greater part of his attention was on her. Watching her innocent enjoyment of the music gave him fresh perspective. Yes, music was meant to be enjoyed... And by the end of the 2nd movement of the Mendelssohn he finally admitted to himself that he did want to kiss her again. He didn't know how he would manage it, but the desire was getting stronger by the minute.

Breaking his own rule about not talking during a performance, he found several opportunities to lean over to whisper in her ear about the composer's intention, about how advanced the music was for its time, or that she should listen for the upcoming viola solo…He was just going to do it once, but she smelled like vanilla…and he liked it when his mouth made contact with her hair and skin. He kept glancing at her hands resting in her lap and wishing he had the guts to reach for them. His hormones had his head spinning off on some fantasy of kissing her right then and there in the dark auditorium, but he was able to reign himself in...just barely. Get a grip, Len. This is a concert, for heaven's sake.

* * *

During intermission they wandered around the lobby and the mezzanine, saying little. Kahoko was having fun. Even in silence she enjoyed his company. She imagined that even being in his presence was enough to infuse her with musical knowledge. To her he was royalty. His handsome face and majestic bearing merely underscored the exalted nature of musicianship that permeated his being. She thought of him fondly as a friend, but she was truly in awe of him as a musician. Every minute spent with him was precious, especially in these last few weeks when most of his waking time was spent in practice.

When the 5-minute chime rang to signal the end of intermission, he gave in to the impulse to put his hand on her back as he said "Let's return to our seats." A couple of his fingers grazed her soft skin and the battle for self-control began anew.

* * *

After the concert was over and final applause died away, the house lights went up and the young couple joined the rest of the throng in making slow progress to the lobby. Looking down at the redhead in front of him, Len took pleasure in the tantalizing view of her lovely slender neck and creamy shoulders. He could feel the seconds counting down to when he might get the chance to touch her…possibly kiss her. Where could they go to make it happen?...He wasn't even sure he even had the nerve…Better touch her now, while he had the opportunity.

As she made slow mincing steps behind the river of people in front of her, Kahoko felt Len's hands on her shoulders. To be precise, his cool fingers were on her bare skin and his thumbs were slowly rubbing her neck. When she turned around to smile up at him, his eyes were hooded and enigmatic. She put a hand over one of his, to let him know that it was alright to touch her.

Little did he know that her thoughts were on facilitating some intimacy once they left the building. Although there was no hope of an ongoing relationship and she didn't exactly _need _him to kiss her, she _wanted _him to. He seemed to have enjoyed their first kiss. Now that she likely had more dating experience than he did, she sympathized with the plight of young men who might be too shy to initiate closeness. She didn't see any harm in making it easier for him.

Outside the concert hall they descended the wide steps. As minutes went by she noticed that he was walking more and more slowly with head bowed, but they were already almost at the car. She decided to take matters into her own hands. "It's a lovely mild evening, Tsukimori-kun. Shall we take a walk before you drive me home?"

"Yes; let's." He looked relieved and she thought he might have almost smiled. She would dearly love to find a way of making him smile more.

Heading in the direction of a park that was a couple blocks away, they talked about the performance. Len spoke easily about the composers, about the Romantic period and its development. She loved hearing his deep warm voice as he spoke about the topic that was dearest to his heart.

Kahoko's pretty shoes were beginning to bother her, but she didn't want to shorten the date by worrying him. If she could hang onto him, she would probably be fine. A gentleman would have offered his arm by now, anyway. She slipped an arm around his elbow. "Do you mind me holding onto you, Tsukimori-kun? My shoes are a little wobbly and tricky to keep my balance in."

"Do you want to stop?" He instantly looked concerned.

"No, not at all. I feel like walking. It's just a question of balance."

He looked doubtful but kept pace. He could never understand why they made womens shoes so impractical, but he liked having her hang on to him. He covered her hand with his, feeling a little self-conscious about it but concluding that it was a pleasant impulse to give in to. They strolled through the twilight park in slow silence, each wondering how to find an opportunity to get even closer.

Suddenly a large dog appeared out of nowhere and ran toward them, barking loudly. Kahoko panicked and hid behind Len. The dog wasn't after them actually, but racing after a squirrel. Kahoko was petrified, though. She clung onto Len for dear life, shaking hard, her face white. He looked at her in shock. He had never seen anyone so frightened and he didn't know what to do. What was one supposed to do with an upset female, anyway? He had no experience dealing with drama. Since the dog was now long gone, Len led her to the nearest bench. He sat her down and hesitantly put his arm around her, awkwardly rubbing her shoulder.

"Are you all right?"

She nodded. Knowing that she would be unintelligible until the shaking stopped, she buried her face in his chest and tried to slow her breathing. He tried putting another arm around her, stroking her head, schooling himself to be patient until she was ready to explain. She was still a bit wobbly when she finally spoke.

"When I was 6 yrs old I was bitten by a dog. I didn't realize that it wasn't safe to pet him, and he bit me. I think he just meant it as a warning, but the bites were deep enough to draw blood. I had to get rabies shots, just in case." She showed him the tooth marks that crossed her left wrist. "It wasn't a serious injury, but I've been afraid of dogs ever since."

Len's heart and mind were spinning with concern. How close she had come to not being able to play violin! It was a near-tragedy that they shared. He gently took her delicate hand in his and examined the faint scars. They actually looked like tooth punctures, the violence of which made his heart lurch. How could that happen to the sweet little future violinist? A wave of unfamiliar emotion washed through him and he brought her wrist to his mouth to tenderly kiss her old wounds.

She was deeply touched by Tsukimori's empathy, and captivated by his green gaze on her face as he held her hand against his cheek. She had never seen his expression so softened with compassion. She couldn't look away from those celadon eyes regarding her through blue fringe. He reached out to rest his hand on the curve of her neck, rubbing gently with his thumb. It began as a sympathetic gesture, but he soon felt the draw of her feminine magnetism. Leaning closer... and closer...his mouth sought hers and warmed it with the beginnings of a kiss...

Suddenly feeling guilty, he drew back and apologized.

"Why?" she wanted to know, genuinely puzzled.

"I'm leaving in a few weeks."

"Oh. I know that…So you feel bad about kissing me because soon you won't be around?"

He nodded, studying her face.

"Don't feel bad. It's not an issue for me at all. I'll miss you...a lot, but there's no reason why we can't kiss now. I like being close to you."

Although he wasn't completely convinced that he wouldn't be somehow taking advantage of her, something sincere in her eyes swayed him. Or maybe he just couldn't help himself. He resuming delicately touching her shoulder with his long violinist's fingers, before bringing his lips to complement the experience. Her skin was so silky and the scent of vanilla was stronger there. Seeing how she shivered and breathed at his touch, he lightened his finger contact to barely a tickle. His tracings made her quiver with delight. She was sighing and aching for more. He augmented the sensation with delicate strokes of his heated tongue. Working slowly up her neck, he aroused her with his fingers as he tasted her staccato pulse, her jaw, her chin, finally covering her lips. She moaned into his mouth from the sheer relief of being able to press herself into him.

Len felt passion coursing through him and it seemed to him like a wild thing. As he held her face and plumbed her mouth, he worried about losing control. Was it normal to fantasize about watching her writhe in rapture beneath him as he…did things to her? His hands were itching to feel other parts of her that were soft and feminine. His member was straining for release. He was about to cross a line that he shouldn't. "I have to stop" he said abruptly, panting as he looked at her. A part of him was hoping that she would beg him to take her somewhere private so they could continue to escalate their lovemaking. But seeing his struggle for control, she quickly leaned away and nodded. He grabbed her hand and sat with his back against the bench, forcefully exhaling until he could catch his breath and so a certain part of his anatomy could settle down.

He looked at her half-apologetically. "Is that okay? If we didn't stop…"

She nodded. "Of course. Thank you. It was really, really wonderful and of course we had to stop." She snuggled up to him and put her head on his shoulder. He kissed her hair. They stayed there peacefully for a while longer, enjoying the tingly aftermath of their entanglement.

"Are you ready to go home?"

"Yes, let's go." It was getting late. They strolled back slowly, holding hands and thinking.

"I feel that I should say something, Hino…You're my first…"

She smiled. "And you are almost my first. Last week was my first with anyone."

"I understand…Are you dating anyone?"

"I have two more dates to go and then I will have to make up my mind soon."

He was suddenly sad that she would soon be exclusive with someone else. He was subconsciously hoping that he could maintain this new intimacy with her until he left. He was even considering her lessons as an opportunity for added closeness. "Will you let me know when you choose someone? Until then I would like to…No, we shouldn't...Sorry." He frowned in self-reprimand.

"It's okay, Tsukimori-kun. It's an unusual situation, isn't it? Let's keep an open mind and take things as they come. I like being close to you and I don't want to lose you just yet…I'll let you know when I make a decision. Until then, we might feel that we have the option to be close again."

He was relieved. As long as she was fine with things, he would allow himself to want her. It was a thrilling, aching kind of feeling and he wondered if it would alter the way he played the violin. He had already noticed a difference in his practices. Maybe the love that his parents had for each other was responsible for the emotion with which they played...Did he have feelings for her? Was this how love began?

Back at her house, they sat in the car. He was still feeling confused, as if there was some action that needed to be taken but as if his hands were tied. "I feel that there is something that I should do, but I don't know what...What should I do...for you?"

She thought she might understand what he was trying to say. He was probably feeling some responsibility toward her.

"I don't think there is anything that you can do, Tsukimori-kun. The decision is mine to make. You should concentrate on your violin. If we feel like getting close again, we can see how we feel at the time."

He nodded in defeat. What he _wanted_ was to stay by her side, to somehow touch her every day, throughout the day, to ask her to be his girlfriend so he could keep pursuing emotional and physical intimacy with her. He had never wanted a girlfriend before now, but now he understood that desire. He couldn't undo these feelings, whatever they were. There was no going back. So he was stuck with these emotions, knowing that his relationship with her was finite. He was going away...For the first time he suddenly really wished he didn't have to go so soon. He sighed. "So tomorrow we're back to normal?"

"Yes. Back to normal. If you need to ignore me so you can concentrate on your music, that will be fine. If you want us to be close again, we can decide at the time."

She made it sound easy, when in fact it probably wasn't. At least she had some clarity, and he was grateful for her understanding. "Thank you, Hino." He squeezed her hand and the corners of his mouth lifted a little. She smiled back, feeling that his smile was a precious gift. She got out of the car, waved to him from the porch, and let herself inside.

* * *

Once in bed, she checked her messages. There was one from Yunoki, demanding that she call him. Amou had also called, wondering how Kaho was progressing with her dates. It was too late to get back to either of them, so she shut the phone off and sank under the covers. She replayed all the wonderful moments of her date with Len...and then her day with Kazuki. She knew she was nowhere near making a decision, and she told herself that she wouldn't think about it too much until she had dated all the guys.

She sank into a deep sleep, with visions of boys swirling around in her head.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Poor Len, being consumed by confusing new emotions. Bad timing, as far as his trip is concerned. But maybe in the end it will be good for his violin playing...P.S. Don't worry, Len fans. Things improve for him in later chapters :)

I read somewhere that the scents that turn men on are vanilla and cinnamon...basically the smell of home baking! I have a great vanilla perfume that smells like real vanilla, but I haven't found a cinnamon one yet. Are any of you familiar with a cinnamon perfume?

I wonder what Azuma's phone call is about...I have a bad feeling about it.

**Next Chapter:** No date in the next chapter...Kahoko unwittingly teaches Azuma a powerful lesson that turns the table on him.

She and Ryo find a dark place to...ahem...get to know each other better ;)


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** You'd better brace yourself; there's some sexually explicit stuff on this page that may be shocking to some of you ;)

* * *

In the morning as Kahoko dashed out the door, she wondered who she would encounter first: Etou or Yunoki. In fact, Yunoki's limo was waiting for her at the end of her block. She got in and was met with a scowl. Why was he in a bad mood? Surely it didn't have anything to do with her..."I'm sorry I wasn't able to call you, Yunoki-sempai. I got in late, and I figured I would see you on the way to school."

His dark expression remained unchanged. "Is there anything you want to tell me about your date with Hihara?" His voice held an aura of looming unpleasantness.

"Oh! We had a very nice time."

"I'll bet. He says that you _kissed _him."

She looked at his severe expression. Oh, so that's why he was pissed off. She hadn't obeyed his ultimatum of the other day. "Yes...The kiss was _his_ idea. He seemed sure about wanting to, so I went along with it. I really like Kazuki. I wanted to make him happy."

The flautist's face was gathering color. "So it's 'Kazuki' now, is it? You won't call me Azuma, but you call him Kazuki?"

Hmm, his feelings were hurt. What to say, what to say... "It's different. You're a Yunoki so it's difficult for me to address you with familiarity."

But he was on a roll, intent on airing all of his grievances at once..." And of course Hihara would _want_ to kiss you. Are you going to say yes to every guy who wants to kiss you?"

She stared at him, half-expecting to see steam coming out of his ears. He certainly seemed upset enough. If he only knew how many guys she had kissed. She really didn't know what to say. She reminded herself that Yunoki-sempai was just jealous and that she should be understanding.

"I did what felt right at the time."

The restraint in his voice made his words sound ominous. "Did you do what felt right the _first_ time you kissed him…_at the creek?"_

Why was she even surprised that he knew about that. She could just imagine the conversation between him and Kazuki. Sigh. "I had fallen asleep and when I woke up _he_ kissed _me_ before I knew what was going on." Actually it felt like _her _ears were beginning to steam. She didn't have to justify her actions to him. Who did he think he was, interrogating her like this? As if things weren't hard enough for her.

He wasn't finished though. "And _who_ were you out with last night?"

"I'm not going to answer that" she uttered between clenched teeth.

He shook his head impatiently as if to veto her anger. "It's a moot point. Your dates with the others are done now. In spite of your thoughtless actions, I'm still willing to take you... Are you ready to be exclusive to me?"

_Thoughtless? _She ignored his condescending tone and counted to five… "I don't know what you're basing your calculations on, but I have _two _more dates to go: yours and another person's."

"Another date besides mine? How is that possible?"

"...then I will take some time to make a decision."

"A decision? There is no decision to make. You will come to me. I've been waiting long enough." He was on the verge of _really _losing it…

She huffed out a sigh before delivering a response with flint in her voice. "I am _trying_ to be patient with you, Yunoki-sempai, but it's hard when you are _so controlling_. I _might_ choose you…_if_ you don't drive me crazy with your nosy questions every time I see you. I like you very much, but if you don't start treating me with respect then I will leave. I don't need this stress. I have every right to make my own choices and I'm doing the very best that I can... Don't you want me to enjoy being with you instead of making me avoid you because of your unreasonable demands? Why would I want to be with you when you make me feel like this?"

He was stunned by her tirade. His mouth was rendered inert as he felt cold heavy mercury flowing through his veins. He realized with a thud in his chest that his era of manipulating her was over. Her recent dating experiences had empowered her. Deep down, he knew that even if he were to kidnap her and eliminate all of his competition, she would still have the upper hand because…

_HE WANTED HER MORE THAN SHE WANTED HIM.  
_

It was a catastrophic realization for him. If he wanted her devotion, the only way to increase his chances was for him to earn it. He had to wait for her to do things her way, in her own time. Damn that Amou! She had created a level playing field and he had lost the advantage. Kahoko had 3 guys (maybe more!) to choose from, that all liked her. He wondered if they were willing to fight for her.

He decided to shelve his frustration for the moment. Right now he honestly just wanted to touch her and feel that everything was all right. His mouth finally opened and he said "I'm sorry." He actually probably wasn't sorry, but he was beaten, and an apology seemed to be the most expedient way of getting her into his arms.

She was stunned by his apology, but smiled encouragingly. He put his forehead on her shoulder and she leaned her head against his. Hmm, apologizing wasn't as hard as he thought. Let's try some more. "Please don't me angry with me, Kahoko." He reminded himself that he didn't mean it. She stroked his hair, he put his arms around her and moments later they were kissing. He fell under her sweet spell and acknowledged to himself that it was worth almost anything to him to get to kiss her.

They both realized that this pattern of dissent and making-up had to change if they had any hope of having a relationship. In that moment he resolved to change in order to win her. She resolved to keep an eye on his behavior and to take it into account when making her final decision.

* * *

In home room before the teacher came in, Kahoko crouched down next to Kaji's desk and asked quietly. "Would you like to get together soon? I'm free tonight or tomorrow or Wednesday."

"Yes!" He looked pleased. "May I have your phone number?" She gave it to him, although they planned to get together during their 4th period spare to discuss things.

* * *

After homeroom Tsuchiura caught up with her in the hall and smiled warmly at her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "How are you doing today?"

"Fine, thanks." She gave him a big smile. "You?"

"I'm good. I was wondering if you could meet me in my practice room during lunch?"

"Mmm, sure. When?

"Can you come around 12:20?"

"I think so. Which room?"

"Room eleven."

"Okay. I'm assuming that you want me to bring my violin?"

"Not this time. I'll explain later."

* * *

Almost three hours later she was on her way to see him, having eaten a modest lunch. She was a little curious about Ryotaro's request, since it didn't involve her violin.

He was playing Rachmaninoff when she entered. He gave her a broad smile and continued playing until he reached the end of the section he was working on. "Thanks for coming." He stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and rocking side to side. "I had to see you."

So he just wanted a hug?

He could see that she was a bit confused. "I know that we've already had our date and that you're still making your decision, but I..." He lowered his voice as he kissed her temple._ "...I miss touching you." _

Oh. Did he have some kind of intimacy in mind?...It was on the tip of her tongue to say that it wouldn't be appropriate, that he should wait to see what she decided. Then she realized that she had spent extra time with the other guys...at the creek with Kazuki, walking with Etou-kun, getting advice and a hug from Kaji-kun, rides and kissing with Yunoki-sempai! She actually owed Ryo.

She laid her head against his chest, which he interpreted as agreement.

"Come…" He took her hand and led her toward the wall, to…the closet! He had opened one of the two large bi-fold doors. Ducking down as he entered, he kept hold of her hand as he sat cross-legged on the floor behind the closed door. "Have a seat, Kahoko."

Guessing that he had some kind of intimacy in mind, she wondered how this was going to work. "_Where_ do you want me to sit, Ryotaro?"

His voice rumbled in a very male way. "On my lap. Straddle me."

Oh my! She needed to stall for time as she debated the wisdom of this action. "Uhh...What if someone comes in?"

He reached over and slid the door shut. They were now in relative darkness, with slivers of light between the cracks. He spoke softly. "If we're quiet, no one will know. If they come in, they'll see my books and assume that I've gone to the washroom."

Now she was thinking about how it would work to be sitting on him. Her school uniform skirt was too short to provide a barrier from his manliness. She was very much aware of the fact that she would be straddling his private parts, with nothing but her panties and his trousers and underwear separating them. Maybe she could sit back a bit and avoid getting too close. The only reason she was considering his request at all was that she really wanted to sink into his strong arms and rekindle the warmth of the other night. After Yunoki's bad behavior she really needed Ryo's kind of confident affection, the kind that made her believe that all was right with the world...The closet did seem to give them the most privacy right now, and straddling him was basically the only way she could sit comfortably.

"Please, Kahoko. Let me hold you." He whispered, still holding her fingertips.

"Okay." She carefully placed one foot on either side of him. He put his hands on her waist to steady her, and she slowly lowered herself onto his lap. He put his arms around her and they both sighed with satisfaction as they sank into a deep hug.

He leaned his forehead against hers and began stroking her hair. "You feel so good, Kahoko. I really needed to be with you." With his hands on her hips he pulled her against his pelvis to make a point. "Don't worry if you feel me getting excited. I'll stay in control." She sighed. So much for maintaining a modest distance. She couldn't see him, but could hear the reassuring smile in his deep voice. She couldn't really feel him down there, which was good.

In the darkness all they could see was slivers of light off to the side. As a result, they found themselves using their hands to locate each other. This method of orientation led them to indulge in a lot of touching, which in the darkness seemed heightened. Kahoko was first in feeling her way around. She was a bit uncomfortable with not being able to see, so she instinctively did a cursory assessment of him with her hands. Ryotaro was more than content to be the recipient of her investigation.

The more her hands touched, the more intimacy she craved. The landscape of his muscular chest suddenly captivated her. Her motions slowed as she examined him through his shirt. "Allow me" he said in a low voice. She heard the rustle of fabric as he undid the buttons and pulled the shirt out of his pants. He placed her hands on his skin, breathing shallowly with enjoyment as she slowly felt her way across his contours. She laid her cheek against him as her fingers explored, and she was soon lost in the hypnotic pleasure of his warm skin and male scent.

He leaned down to find her mouth with his and they dove into each others slippery warm wetness. His bulge against her panties began swelling and surging, and her flower responded with spasms of its own. Their kisses became secondary to the awareness of what was going on below. He made undulating movements against her and she instinctively rode him, following the swell of each wave with a soft moan. It was her first experience with how her body could lead her to this. Ryo knew his limitations though, and after a few increasingly arousing moments... "Pffffff…Stop for a minute. We probably don't want me to have an accident." Both of them froze and several seconds later he let out a big sigh. "We'd better not do that anymore. I'm kind of on the edge."

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her close, stroking her hair as his heart throbbed with love. He wanted to build a life with her, to go forward together. There was so much he wanted to do with her, and lovemaking was part of that big picture. Most guys his age weren't anywhere near being ready to think of commitment and marriage. Surely it counted for something that he knew already what he wanted and was ready to take care of her.

* * *

Checking his watch, he regretfully declared that they should start getting ready to go soon. Kahoko sighed, sat up, leaned her forehead against his and did up his shirt buttons. Ryo supported her hips as she got herself into a standing position. The stirring of air beneath her skirt made her gasp.

"Oh no!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"I think I may have left...moisture on your pants."

His reaction was amusement. "Really? Are you sure you're wet? Let me feel you..." He stroked up her thigh toward..."

"No!" she yelped, swatting at his hand.

He chuckled. "I'm just kidding...Well, let's take a look at my trousers, then." He righted himself as much as he could in the cramped space and slid open the closet door to shed some light on the situation. Sure enough, there was indeed a wet patch over his fly. "Yes, there it is."

She was mortified and covered her face with her hands as she gasped.

"Kaho; no worries, truly. I don't care what people think. It could easily be anything…water, something from lunch." He leaned over to speak seductively in her ear. "Personally, I'm rather pleased that you wanted me that much. Nobody would ever guess what it actually is, but I'll know." He squeezed her arm affectionately before stepping out into the room. "Stay here until I give you the signal." With his eyes squinting against the change of light, he went to the door to block the view from the door window. "Okay" he whispered.

She stepped out, closing the closet door behind her.

"Come here" he beckoned. She went to him and he straightened her uniform and smoothed her hair. "Perfect" he said. "How do I look?"

"Other than the stain?" she blushed, but reached out to tug at his shirt to null out the wrinkles. "Good."

The school bell rang and suddenly they were in a hurry. He gave her a peck on the mouth. "That was amazing, Kahoko. Thank you. I'll talk to you later…And don't worry; It'll be fine!"

She scooted to the washroom as quickly as she could, to attend to her moisture issue and to check her appearance. She had to clean up thoroughly before meeting Kaji-kun! Could boys smell sex like animals could? Gaaah! Her life was never dull these days.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh Dear!...I guess that with all the intimacy that Kaho has been enjoying, something awkward was going to happen sooner or later. If you're going to straddle a hot guy in a dark closet, you'll end up with dealing with somebody's fluids. At least, Dear Reader, with my cautionary tale I have spared you a similar fate.

Would any of you like to share an embarrassing story? I'm listening...

Ryo is such a physical guy. No surprise that he gets farther with her than the other boys...so far ;)

What did you think of Yunoki's arrogant behavior and subsequent turnaround? Do you think she actually got to him? Time will tell...

**Next Chapter: **Kaji tells Kaho about his plans for a really cool date...Len is becoming more affectionate in her lesson...Etou pulls Kaho into an alley!


	13. Chapter 13

It was 4th period spare and Kahoko was hurrying to the main entrance where Kaji said he would be waiting. She spied his wispy blonde hair from a distance and he saw her at the same time, straightening away from the wall to come meet her halfway.

"Shall we walk?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye. They headed away from the school to stroll along neighboring residential streets. "I've thought of something really nice for us to do, and I want to know if you like the idea."

She smiled in anticipation. Kaji-kun was a very thoughtful person, so he would have come up with something good.

He went on. "We have family friends that have a villa along the coast, quite close by actually. It's a lovely spacious place with a private beach. Our friends are out of the country this month, so we would have the place all to ourselves. I was thinking that with all that you've been going through lately, you might like to distance yourself from the city. I would be there, but as a friend. I don't want to add to the pressure that you already have. I just hope that you can relax and forget your worries."

Once again he was lifting the burden from her shoulders. She threw her arms around him and squeezed tight. He stroked her back and kissed her hair. "You like the idea?"

"Yes." Her answer was muffled in his chest. They stayed like that for a while longer, with him stroking her soothingly. She kept letting out deep breaths of released stress, and could feel waves of tension leaving her body. When she was ready she leaned back in his embrace and looked up at him. His eyes were warm as he combed some hair out of her eyes. He rested his hand on her cheek and rubbed her cheekbone with his thumb before releasing her. "Okay now?"

"Yes, thanks…I think that I would really like that. I think it's what I need."

"Then we need to decide when. It's really extra-lovely there in the evening as the sun goes down. We could either take leave straight from school one afternoon, or if we go on Saturday or Sunday we would be able to spend more time there. Either way, you would be home quite late by the time we watch the sun go down and then make the trip back home. Would your Mom give you permission?"

"I think she'd be fine with it as long as she gets to meet you…I like the idea of having more time to unwind there, so let's see if we can do a weekend day. I'll talk to my Mom and make sure it's OK."

"Good. I'll keep an eye on the weather forecast, although the villa is so nice that even if it were raining it would be a lovely place to relax. There's a large stone fireplace and I'm a decent cook."

"Kaji-kun, it sounds great. I hope this works out. Thank you so much."

"You are very welcome. Shall we head back?" He put his arm around her and they walked slowly back.

She was thinking a lot about what he said and realized how she felt about it. She stopped and looked up at him. "Kaji-kun?"

He was instantly alert to the fact that she was about to say something important.

"Do you want me to consider you as a possible future boyfriend?"

Her question was very direct. He controlled his expression so as not to give away the depth of his feelings. "Yes, I do…"

"I appreciate that you don't want to add to my stress, by being 'a friend' at the villa…but I would prefer it to be a date. I would like to get to know you in that way, otherwise I will make my decision without having the whole picture. I don't want to regret giving you less of a chance than the others."

He studied her face for a moment. She seemed decided. "All right, if that's really what you want. We'll treat it like a no-stress date. And you can change your mind at any time if you want. How's that?"

"Good! Thank you, Kaji-kun."

He was elated about what she had said. Just because he wanted to do the right thing didn't mean that he didn't want her for himself.

When they were in view of the school he dropped his arm so that she wouldn't have to deal with complications if someone saw them.

* * *

She was on her way to her locker to get her violin. She couldn't help but smile because of Kaji-kun's kindness. He had single-handedly made her feel 100% better. She realized that she was thinking about him in two different ways. On the one hand he was such a good friend, actively trying to make her life easier, even against his own desires. Since he had kissed her he must like her at least a little, and yet he didn't want to add to her burden by forcing his agenda on her. It made her feel that she could completely relax with him, knowing that he put her happiness first.

On the other hand, she couldn't stop thinking about how he had felt when he kissed her, how he touched her. Of all the the intimate things she had experienced with the boys in that practice room, the encounter with him was the most arousing. Why was that? Although she was excited with the other boys (some more than others) she seemed to have had a particular chemistry with Kaji-kun. How ironic that he was the one person that had proposed an un-romantic date.

And why was it that in spite of the chemistry on that one day, there had been no sign of it since then? Was that because of how Kaji-kun was playing the role of a friend? If he showed her another side of him, would the chemistry resurface? Maybe that first time was an isolated incident. She was curious to find out. Their date would be interesting.

She got out her phone. "Mother? How are you?...Good…Listen; someone has invited me to go to his friend's beach villa one day. I was wondering if it's okay with you if I go on Saturday or Sunday?...No, it's somebody different...No, it's not Hihara-sempai either...His name is Kaji Aoi...I will of course bring him to meet you first…yes…yes…all right. Thanks Mother!"

She phoned Kaji-kun and told him that either day was fine, and that Saturday would be better because it wasn't before a school night. He said he'd check to make sure that the villa was available that day, and get back to her.

* * *

A few minutes later she was warming up with some scales before her lesson with Tsukimori-kun. She wondered how he would be. The last time she saw him he had seemed to be wrestling with his feelings.

Now he came through the door and smiled at her...actually smiled. It was a little smile, but on his usually-taciturn face it seemed huge. His face was transformed by it and he looked even more handsome than usual. She couldn't help but smile back. He approached her, gently held her hand and kissed her cheek lightly before letting go. "How is practicing going?"

"It's okay, I guess." She didn't want to embarrass him by commenting on his unprecedented mood, so she decided to go with the flow, to act as if everything was normal. "I didn't get as much done this week."

His face showed concern, then understanding. He knew very well why she wasn't practicing as much. "All of that will be over with soon, though." He had mixed feelings about it. The sooner she chose between the boys, the sooner she could get back to practicing seriously. But she would have a new boyfriend and he wouldn't ever be able to touch her again. And he _did_ want to touch her.

"Yes." She guessed what he was feeling.

They proceeded with her lesson. He was serious, but in a good-natured way. He stood closer to her than usual and his voice had warmth to it. He found ways to touch her, especially to softly stroke her scarred wrist when correcting her left hand position.

He wrapped things up a few minutes early. Reaching for her fingers with his, he looked down at the floor as he asked quietly "Can you come to my house tomorrow after dinner? I am by myself in the house and I would enjoy your company."

She was surprised by his request, that Len of all people would initiate another date. She already knew that she wouldn't deny him, but she needed to start finding ways of justifying all of these outings to her Mom. "Yes, if you help me with my homework."

He was surprised, since he was feeling romantic and what she was proposing was the opposite of that. But she had said yes and he wasn't about to complain. "All right, I'll help you. Can you come around 7:00?" When she nodded, he kissed her on the cheek and left.

Minutes later, Kahoko was still shaking her head. She couldn't believe the change in him.

* * *

Etou was waiting for her at the gate after school. "Do you want to walk together?"

"Yes, thank you."

He smiled wryly, glancing at the limo parked nearby. "I wonder how far we'll get this time."

"I don't know" she smiled, sharing the joke. But she knew that Yunoki-sempai would be hurting. She was curious to see what he would do.

To her amazement, the purple prince didn't follow them. She and Etou were able to converse freely as they strolled along. He happily answered her questions about improvising on the violin, and then about his process when composing his pieces. But soon there was a silence...and then his voice reverberated with emotion. "I've been thinking about you…a lot."

"Yes?" She smiled gently, remembering their date and the intimacies they had shared a few days previous.

"Can I see you again?"

"Oh…Hmm…" she was trying to decide how she felt about it. She had made out with Ryo in the closet because she felt she owed him, and likewise accepted Len's invitation, but...but...Darn; she hated saying no..."If we do, it isn't any kind of indication…"

"I know. I just want to see you once more…before you decide. After that it won't be the same…"

"Did you have anything particular in mind?"

He grinned. "Yes. I would like to cook for you. One day this week after school, we could walk to my house and I'll make dinner for you. I'll make some of the Indian food that I was telling you about."

"That sounds wonderful, Etou-kun. But I have one condition. You have to help me with my homework that evening."

"O-kaay…Which day do you want to come?"

"Can I get back to you on that? I need to check my schedule."

"Sure..."

They walked for a while in silence, musing about the additional opportunity they would have, to continue being close.

About two blocks from her house she felt his hand taking hers as he came to a halt. She turned to look at him and lost herself in his impassioned gaze as he slowly stepped backward into an alley, lightly pulling her with him. She went along in a trance, following the appeal in his eyes. There was a fence, a garage, an unruly pair of bushes, and the two violinists hid themselves among the branches.

In the cool damp of the green bower his hands enclosed her waist and their foreheads touched. All was very still and the potential of the moment reverberated in the air between them. In slow motion he lowered his mouth to brush across her lips, and withdrew to look at her. She felt the pull of his beautiful deep dark eyes. Tilting his head, he tasted her upper lip before pulling back again. She couldn't help but lean forward, feeling that it wasn't quite enough. With his hands cradling her face, he found a place to gently kiss, and then drew away to look into her eyes...kiss, pull away, over and over again. With each kiss she became more desperate for him.

The acute yearning in her eyes was what he wanted. Granting her unspoken wish, he sank deeply into her mouth and went about loving every part of it. With a hand buried in her hair and another securing her waist, he took charge of their liaison. He kissed and tongued and stroked and didn't release her until she was shaking with desire. As they caught their breath they regarded each other with smoldering eyes before sighing and then falling into each others arms for comfort. Each of them was becoming addicted to the long, soulful embrace that seemed to be uniquely theirs.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Whew! Do any of you like the thought of being teased the way that Etou was doing?

Isn't Kaji-kun a sweetheart? Maybe too sweet? ;) There's a side of him that he's been hiding. Stay tuned...

What do you think of Len's behavior? Did you ever think you'd see the day when he would be so content and affectionate? You'll soon understand why he is so changed...

In the author's note at the end of the previous chapter, I later added an explanation of Kaho's accident in the closet scene, for those readers without...ahem...'experience'. In case you didn't see it, I'm including it again here...OK, here goes: There is a fluid that is produced when one is aroused...yes, even girls! Its function is to make the actual act (going all the way!) go smoother and easier. That's what was involved in Kaho's accident...(Blushes): I'm more embarrassed about explaining that, than I was in writing the scene! But I don't want anyone to be confused.

**Next Chapter:** Kahoko's date with Azuma ;)


	14. Chapter 14

_After some intimacy in the alley with Etou..._

When she arrived home she scarcely got in the door when her mother dragged her to the front parlor. There on the table was a beautiful floral arrangement with lilies, ivy, and button mums. Right away she knew who sent it and why. As lovely as the arrangement was, it was sweet and modest and she knew that he had practiced restraint in order to send a message. She got the feeling that it was more about pleasing her than in creating the perfect arrangement. Time would tell if his intentions were genuine or not, but it was a nice gesture, regardless.

"So, Daughter. Who would send you such a lovely bouquet? There was no card."

"I think that it must be from Yunoki-sempai. The Yunokis are the Ikebana family. He and I will be going on a date sometime soon."

"Really?" Mrs. Hino seemed surprised. "That's exciting."

"Yes, maybe. He seems to like me, but I'm not getting too worked up about it because he moves in completely different circles from regular people."

"Are you saying that my daughter isn't good enough?"

"Motherrrr…"

"All right. I know that you have good judgment. I won't read too much into it...Why are you so popular these days? You've hardly been home at all."

"I know! All of a sudden I'm being asked out a lot!"

'And you know why' she thought to herself. 'You kissed 6 guys in one week and now they all want more of you.'

"I'm happy that you're able to enjoy your high school years, Sweetheart. When I was in school I didn't really have much of a social life, as I've told you before. I always regretted not dating more before marrying your father…But you won't neglect your schoolwork, right Dear?"

"No worries, Mother. I'm on top of it." Actually, she wasn't too sure about that, but at least she would have some help with her homework this week.

"And Sweetheart, I know you have a good sensible head on your shoulders and that you know how to follow your instincts. But now you're really dating. You will remember the things we've talked about, regarding boys?"

"Of _course_, Mother...I'm going to call Yunoki-sempai now, to thank him."

"Thank him nicely, Dear. That's a very special bouquet."

* * *

He answered immediately. His voice was intimate. "Hello Kahoko. Do you like my gift?"

"I do. It's really beautiful. Did you do it yourself?"

"Yes..."

"Then it is even more special to me. Thank you."

Silence, then… "Did you understand it?"

So Yunoki. Did other people have strange conversations like this?..."I think so. Just like when you let me and Etou-kun walk in peace today...It feels like you want to show me that I'm important to you…and that you respect me."

He laughed. "Cheeky girl."

"Am I wrong?"

"No. You got it right. You are important to me…and I will respect your wishes from now on."

She wasn't sure what to say… "Thank you, Yunoki-sempai."

"Maybe if I'm nice to you, one day you'll address me by my first name?"

She smiled. "Maybe…"

"Can I have my date soon?"

"Yes." She giggled a bit. "When would you like our date to be?"

"Now."

"Huh?...I just got home! You mean _now_ now?"

"No, I was actually thinking that I could pick you up soon and we could have dinner. I would be bringing you home late."

"You should have given me more warning. I can't get ready that quickly."

"Are you saying No? Because there are other people that will be affected by your decision."

"By _my _decision? But _you're_ the one..." She sighed. "Fine. Let's do it."

"You should dress up. I will pick you up in an hour."

"Uh"...Typical Yunoki..."All right. My Mother will want to meet you."

"Fine with me. I'll arrive a little earlier, then. Your mother and I can get to know each other while you get ready."

She wasn't sure she liked the idea of leaving him alone with her Mom since he would probably try to sell himself as the ideal boyfriend, but she understood that time was of the essence and she needed to get ready. She would do damage-control later. "What time should I tell her you're arriving?"

"In 45 minutes."

"Oh boy! Okay, see you soon."

"Soon, Kahoko."

The second she heard the click on the line she ran to find her Mom. "Mother, he's taking me out tonight! And he'll be here to meet you in 45 minutes!"

"What?" Even though her Mom hadn't fully digested the news, she began scurrying to get ready. One didn't second-guess the young gentleman of such a family. She began tidying and then hurried to change into nicer clothes. The time flew by and she was soon opening the door to an elegant and stunning young man.

* * *

Kahoko was ready, and pleased with how she looked. At her Mom's insistence she chose one of her sister's black cocktail dresses. She chose a swingy sleeveless one that skirted the knee. She accessorized with classic gold jewelry of her Mom's, and a pair of black stilettos. She put her hair up with a decorative rhinestone comb. The way she did her eye makeup made her look older, more sophisticated.

Her Mom and Yunoki were chatting easily in the formal parlor. To her satisfaction Kahoko noted the expression on his face when he rose to greet her. "Hino-san, you look beautiful. I will be very proud to have you on my arm this evening."

"Thank you, Yunoki-sempai."

He declared regretfully that they needed to get going, and promised that he would get her daughter home as soon as he could.

'…as soon as he could.' Kahoko guessed that he had told her Mom where they were going. Her guess was somewhat confirmed when her Mom handed her a black shawl to take 'just in case.' "You look lovely, Sweetheart." She whispered "My little girl is growing up."

In the back seat of the limo Azuma took her hand and kissed it. "You do look stunning, Kahoko."

"Thank you." It was by far the most genuine, no-strings-attached compliment he had ever paid her, and so she blushed. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"What did you and my Mother talk about?"

"This and that. I told her where we're going, told her a little about myself and my family, said that I'm very fond of you and hope that one day you will come to feel the same about me."

"But…that's misleading. You made it sound like you have some kind of long-term commitment in mind."

"I do, Kahoko." His tone of voice stunned her into silence. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed each finger, then looked at her seriously. She stared at him in amazement.

"But Yunoki-sempai; you couldn't commit to me for any length of time before your family would somehow break us up."

"I know that. But I also know what I feel. For some strange reason, I care a lot about you and I don't want to lose you. We don't know how far our relationship can go, but it should be our decision to make. Not my family's."

He sandwiched her hand between his and caressed it as he elaborated. "I care enough about you to fight for us, and I have the means to prevail against them. I have hidden resources and therefore means for securing my freedom. They wouldn't have any power over us."

She had a lump in her throat and could feel tears welling up. It was a surprising declaration, but she recognized sincerity when she heard it.

"But what if you got disowned and we eventually decided that it wasn't working between us?"

"I'm willing to take that chance. I would rather have a clear shot at being with you, than not have tried at all."

She hadn't realized how much he cared. In the back of her mind, she thought he just wanted to win against the other boys. But he couldn't say these things without meaning them. She moved along the seat to rest her head against his chest and put her arms around his waist. When he raised her chin to wipe away her tears she kissed him. He was touched by her reaction and her affection. They kissed each other lovingly and held onto each other the rest of the way.

* * *

When they alighted at the harbor she still hadn't figured out where they were headed…until he led her to a huge, gleaming yacht. Holding her hand, he steered her up the ramp to a deck adorned with glittering white twinkle lights. The captain and wait staff introduced themselves before disappearing to do their jobs.

Azuma gave her a tour of the sleek vessel that boasted several oak-paneled suites with marble floors, opulent dining room, meeting rooms, media room, sauna and steam room, gym, a very technical communications and control room, etc etc. When they reached the sundeck her attention was drawn to the azure waters of a well-appointed Jacuzzi. Azuma encircled her waist and spoke suggestively in her ear. "It's heated, if you want to get in with me."

"No thanks" she demurred politely. If she chose him then one day she would love to shock him by taking him up on one of his steamy offers, but not this time.

They went over to the railing to look at the shimmering waters and city lights as the ship headed into the bay. Azuma stood behind her and began setting the mood. With one hand caressing the curve of her hip through the dress, his other hand pulled her hair back to clear a path for his lips. She leaned back into him and succumbed to his touch. One touch led to another and just as she was wondering if this was too public a place, he grabbed her hand. "Come."

He led her to a large suite and let her admire the luxurious sitting area for about 3 seconds on their way to the bedroom. A king-size bed was covered with embroidered silk bedding and sumptuous pillows and the air smelled of sandalwood. There were candles flickering in all corners of the room. She watched in a trance as he closed the door behind them, kicked off his shoes, took off his dinner jacket, tie and and belt and hung them over the back of a chair, then climbed to the middle of the bed. He patted a spot next to him, beckoning for her to join him.

She hesitated. This scene had all the hallmarks of a grand seduction. "Uhh…What do you have in mind, Yunoki-sempai?"

"What do you think? I want to touch you." His golden eyes were sparkling in the warm light of the candlelit room.

She was frozen in place. She had been kissing and touching a lot lately, but never in a bedroom with the door closed...on a powerful man's yacht!

He sighed and patted the bed again. "Come on, Kahoko. We're running out of time to enjoy being alone before dinner. Trust me, please."

She wasn't completely sure about this, but…

* * *

**Author's Note:** Do you hate me for cutting it off here? :) I just had to, because otherwise the chapter would be too long. And I haven't finished the chapter that follows...

Azuma seems ready to sacrifice a lot for her. Can you imagine his reaction if after all of his efforts she doesn't choose him?

I think that although living within his family's expectations has comforts that Azuma has taken for granted, he's ready to grasp at any excuse to leave his golden cage. He might not go to the trouble unless there were a compelling reason, but the way he feels about her is reason enough for him. Realizing how much he would have given up could be a big burden to Kahoko, and it could factor into her final decision. If he's smart, he'll convince her that he would be happier away from his family, and that happiness is more important to him than privilege.

Kahoko is so in-the-moment with all of these guys. On each date she is full focused on the boy that she's with, trying to immerse herself in the experience of being with him, so that when the time comes she'll have all she needs to make a wise decision. She's not even really comparing the boys at this point. She knows how difficult that decision will be, and she has decided not to think about it until her last date is done.

**Next Chapter:** a bit of lemon ;)


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** Warning! Lemon ahead. Explicit material, body parts fondled, some serious sensuality. If you can't take the heat, stop right here!

_

* * *

_

_Azuma patted a spot next to him on the bed, beckoning for her to join him._

_"I want to touch you, Kahoko." His golden eyes were sparkling in the warm glow of the candlelit room. "Come here, please. Trust me."_

_She wasn't completely sure about this, but…_

...she slipped off her shoes and crawled to the middle of the bed, sitting with her knees curled to one side. He shuffled closer, putting a hand on her cheek and kissing her tenderly. "Kahoko?..."

"Mm?"

"Please say my name. Call me Azuma." He kissed her softly again.

"But…"

"With you of all people, I want to be myself. I don't want to be my family's third son. Please, Kahoko."

Oh...Since he put it like that, how could she refuse? 'You of all people'? Was she that important to him?

"All right…_Azuma_." It felt unfamiliar on her tongue, and saying it felt so intimate that it gave her goosebumps.

"Say it again." With his hand still on her cheek he brushed his jaw along hers.

"Azuma." She quickly fell under his spell, the kind of touch that only he had. As he captured her lips his hands floated on her body. His motions were so light and smooth that he could do almost anything to her before it would occur to her to protest. She wasn't even sure what he was up to until the pleasure possessed her, and by then it was too late for reason. He was caressing her neck, her shoulder, her bare arm. Before she knew it, he had delicately cupped the underside of her breast and was kissing the curve of her that spilled out of her bra. Her dress had the perfect loose plunging neckline for this venture. When he saw it on her earlier this evening in her family home, he knew how the cut of the dress would work to his advantage.

Lapping softly at her flesh with his tongue, he worked his way closer and closer to tasting her bud. All she could feel was delicious anticipation…until with a flick of his fingers at the edge of her bra cup he closed the gap and took her into his mouth. Stroking with tongue and gently sucking, he got high from the sound of her pleasure. She was combing her fingers through his hair, utterly lost in sensation, when in one smooth motion he laid her down on the bed and covered her with his lean body.

Long lavender hair cascaded around her face as he wedged a leg between hers. With his lips on her lips, his fingers slipped inside her bra to pay homage to the other breast. His mouth and hand were making her body hum, and it took her a while to notice that the enticing sensation between her thighs was his leg sliding slowly up and down. It was a subtle thing, but arousing. It was symptomatic of the shift in his attention to her lower body as he returned her breasts to their lacy coverings. His hand led the way down her gauzy dress across her stomach and his mouth followed, breathing warmly through the thin fabric. There was so much of him covering her like a blanket, that she wasn't alarmed at his hand gliding up her thigh and under the hem of her skirt. To her it was merely an increase in her overall experience of bliss. And she didn't notice that he had lowered his body to prepare to access her nerve center...

All at once she felt the arousing warmth of his breath as he pressed his mouth to the sensitive juncture between her legs. Gripped with breathy appreciation of this new feeling, she quickly tried to decide how she felt about him being down there. When his hand swept across bare skin to her inner thigh, she knew with a jolt that she wasn't ready for this. Shaking out of her trance, she put her hands on his head. "Stop please, Azuma."

He raised his head to look at her with alluring eyes while gently tickling her bare thigh with his fingers. "Are you sure, Kahoko? You are mere seconds away from intense pleasure." His smile made promises that he doubtless could keep if she allowed him to.

Gulp. He made it sound very tempting, but she nodded quickly. "I'm sure."

He arose and returned to her mouth with a gentle kiss. He ran his slender fingers along her brow. "Then touch me, Kahoko."

"Touch you?" She was eager to return the favor of his incredible lovemaking. He was a hard act to follow, but she had secretly dedicated herself to being a good student. For some reason she felt more curious than shy with him. Maybe it was because he was so bold and creative in his sensuality that anything she did would pale in comparison. And since he was no prude she guessed that he would probably appreciate a spirit of adventure from her...

What if she took a page or two from his book? He had always seemed to enjoy whispering in her ear. Did that mean that it was something that turned _him _on? She leaned forward, brushed her cheek against his and inquired softly "Where shall I touch you, _Azuma_?"

His reply was immediately husky with anticipation. "Take my shirt off."

"Sit up" she commanded softly. He obeyed with the look of a naughty boy about to receive a reward. She straightened to begin with the top button of his crisp white shirt, her fingers tickling his skin as she undid the closure. He watched her as she placed a tongued kiss on his flesh in the button's wake. Continuing downward, she undid button after button, kissing him lower and lower as his gasping breaths echoed her journey. He facilitated her endeavor by leaning back on the heels of his hands to give her better access to his abdomen. After the last button she tugged the shirt out of his pants. He sat up and let her pull one sleeve off his arm, catching her neck with a kiss as she reached around the back of him to remove the other sleeve.

She tossed the shirt onto a nearby chair and took a minute to admire the sight of her bare sempai. He was a beautiful specimen of manhood. Not muscular in the same bulky way as her athletic male friends, but toned in a manner that suited his frame. He had the body of a man that looked good in expensive clothes. She had a moment of fresh perspective as her eyes registered the flickering candles, the silky bedding, and the half naked man awaiting her. Was she really doing this? She took a deep breath, placed her hands on his chest and began appreciating his body through her fingertips. Starting with her hand at the side of his ribcage, she trailed her fingers down and across his lower abdomen. Hearing his hiss of pleasure, she made a couple more passes, this time with her fingers traveling just inside the waistband. His groan excited her and at the same time scared her. What kind of passion was he capable of? She felt like she was playing with fire. With her palms she swept slowly up to his chest. She blushed a little as she gingerly touched a nipple and asked "Would it feel good for me to touch you here?"

He leaned forward to whisper against her temple. "It would feel amazing. Take me in your mouth."

She bent her head and applied her tongue to him with warm little licks and was immediately rewarded with his moans of captive appreciation. "The other one" he requested into her hair and she did as she was bid. After a few more moans he lifted her face and met her lips passionately, throwing his arms around her and clutching onto her for dear life.

As he fell away from their embrace he grinningly issued a breathless suggestion. "Take my pants off, Kahoko."

HUH?

His words echoed in her head as she shook her head slowly. Nope. No way.

"Just the pants. Leave my briefs on." He watched her face as she mulled over his request.

The reason she had been so bold up until now was because she felt safe knowing that his pants were securely done up. It was a silly thing to feel that a closed zipper and some fabric could give her a sense of security against a man that was stronger than her, but that's how it was...

...So what would be so bad about going just a little bit further? Before, when she asked him to stop, he had...

Ultimately, her curiosity was leading her. Azuma made her feel almost playful about trying new things. And she had never seen him so relaxed and happy... Aware of this being a first in her life, she mindfully undid his button and unzipped his fly. He held onto the waistband of his underwear so it wouldn't come off, and raised his hips off the bed as she pulled his pants down and off. He was wearing soft black jersey boxers. Outlined clearly beneath the fabric was his phallus. She watched it pulse a couple times, then with round eyes she looked at his face.

"Do you want to touch it?" he asked softly with dark eyes.

Hmm...did she? This was the logical next move after taking off a guy's pants. Between one boy and the next, her sexual education was steadily moving ahead. Step by step she was becoming acquainted with what guys and gals did together. But as gradual and natural as each successive step had seemed up until now, surely this was a rather significant one...

"I've never…" she began.

"It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of, Kahoko." Azuma took her hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss her palm, before leading it south. He placed her hand over his cotton-clothed bulge. Placing her fingers at the tip, he guided her to stroke him slowly. His hand remained covering hers as they established an arousing rhythm. He and she watched his hips undulating beneath their hands as he gave himself to the sensations. He was incredibly aroused by the sight of her hand on him. She was surprised at how quickly his member went from soft to turgid, not to mention how large it became! She blushed as she tried to imagine it fitting inside her! Her flower twitched a few times at the thought.

He was getting really excited now and realized that they were at a crossroads. He pulled her up to him and held her face in his hands as he asked breathlessly "Are you ready to take things further?"

She quickly shook her head, smiling gently and trying not to look panicked at the prospect. "This has been a lot for me, Azuma."

He let go of the breath he was holding and dropped his arms. "All right...Pfffffff..." His body was very disappointed and resented the interruption of a very promising crescendo and climax. With a big sigh he extended his arm for her to lay her head on his shoulder. When she did, he kissed her temple. When his breath had slowed sufficiently and the urgency in his body subsided he said "That was great, Kahoko. You were very brave. I didn't know if you had it in you...although I hoped." He impulsively squeezed her hard, kissing her again.

"Azuma, why are you so...good at this?" She blushed crimson as she blurted out the question, imagining the hundreds of hours of practice and the countless girls he might have had.

He grinned at her bold little question. "For generations, Yunoki boys have been..._initiated _on their 16th birthday. We are a family that upholds artistic traditions, and lovemaking is one of those arts. I was taken to a professional for several lessons. I was a quick learner. This kind of thing comes very naturally to me."

"I can believe that..." she agreed in awe, and he chuckled before kissing her nose.

"It seems to come naturally to you too, Kahoko. I'm glad that my instinct about you was right. We're a good match in bed."

It suddenly occurred to him that another explanation for her creativity could be lots of practice. He wondered if she had gotten this far with either of the other two boys, and a lightning bolt of jealousy seared his heart. But with his new vow of good behavior, he had to hold back from jumping to conclusions, at least out loud. Quietly he asked "Is this the farthest you've ever gone?"

"Yes, definitely! I've never undone a guy's clothing...or _licked _anyone...or even been on a bed with a guy. I've never seen or touched…" She inclined her head in the direction of his penis "…_that_ before." She was giggling now. "Thanks for encouraging me."

"What _have _you done before?"

"You actually think I'm going to tell you?"

"Why not? It might be exciting...No; scratch that. I don't really want to know."

There was still a detail that she was curious about as she pondered his description of how he was 'initiated'. "Uhm, Azuma...How old was this 'professional' that, uh...taught you?"

He was amused by her curiosity. "She was 18."

"Oh...Did you fall in love with her?"

"A little bit. But a part of me knew that it was just her job. I had been warned ahead of time."

He rolled over to cover her. "You are adorable" he said, kissing the tip of her nose. Cradling her face in his hands, he spoke with deep conviction "I want to be the one, Kahoko. I want to be everything to you. I want to be the only one that ever gets to make love to you. I want to be the one who makes you happy. You're so good for me. We're so good together. Whatever you think you have with the others, it can't be as good as this. Promise me you'll remember how great this is...Just say the word and we can go as far as we want together. I can make a brilliant life for us. I can give you anything you want. Give me a reason to leave my family, and I'll do it in a heartbeat."

She was absolutely stunned breathless by his declaration. The arrogant manipulative boy that delighted in torturing her had become a dedicated suitor. He was offering her everything he had, and she had never felt so honored. She felt the tears coming, and cried into his chest until his soothing embrace brought her back.

* * *

"Shall we have dinner?" he asked moments later, stroking her hair.

She nodded. They got off the bed and took turns freshening up in the bathroom. She dabbed a cold washcloth to her eyes to remove the evidence of her tears, and touched up her makeup. Hand in hand, they made their way to the dining room, which was adorned with more of the white twinkle lights. "I've prepared something for you" he said, walking to the baby grand piano at one end of the room. He sat down on the piano bench and she stood with one hand on the piano, ready to listen.

"This reminds me of where we had our first kiss" he grinned. She smiled wryly to herself; 'first kiss' was a very tame way of describing what had transpired between them against the piano in that practice room. He ran his fingers up and down the keyboard in a warmup scale. He looked up to make sure he had her full attention, then began.

The introductory music was a lovely blend of melody and counterpoint. After weaving its magic it subsided briefly and Azuma began to sing in a clear tenor voice. She was captivated. She never realized that he could sing so beautifully. She guessed that the words were in Italian. His light voice easily navigated the melismatic passages and conversely took on extra depth and richness in the lower range. From the way he was looking at her, she guessed that it was a love song. It sure felt like it, and she began to blush. Several elements combined to convey the power of his emotion: the musical composition, his fingers on the piano keys, his fluid vocal interpretation, the quality of his voice, the motion of his body as he swayed with the music, and his expression as he looked at her. Even without understanding the words, she felt the force of his intention.

When it was time for the final verse, he rose from the bench and pulled her into his arms. As he held her gaze and tenderly sang the remaining verse he led her in a small intimate dance. By the time his song was done, Kahoko was in tears again. It had been a most moving experience, and the most emotion he had ever shared with her.

"Azuma, what do the words mean?"

He held her cheek to his and softly related the words of the song while swaying with her. She melted from the sheer romance of it and their embrace became a waltz.

* * *

After a splendid dinner and some time spent on the deck watching their return to the city, the couple sat close together in the back seat of his limousine. "Thank you for a lovely evening, Azuma" she said as she watched him stroking her hand. She was still feeling a little delicate from having succumbed to tears.

"Thank you, Kahoko... When are you making your decision?"

She sighed a heavy sigh. "I will give myself all of next week to consider things."

He was fighting an inner battle between wanting to control the situation and giving her the space he had promised her. "Do you have any questions or concerns about me? or us?"

She looked at the handsome man beside her. It was possible that she had reservations about his recent transformation. She had no doubt that he was sincere, but could a leopard change his spots?

"I'm trying not to think about details until next week, but if anything comes up I will ask you then."

"Is there anything I can do to sway you in my favor?" The corners of his mouth were upturned, but it was to cover up how vulnerable he felt.

Kahoko giggled. "I think you've already done enough."

He chuckled back. "Well, let me know if you think of anything else."

The rest of the ride consisted of tender touches, soft kisses, and the appreciation of precious moments.

* * *

Kahoko removed her makeup and got into her pajamas in slow motion as she reviewed the last several hours. Her mom came and sat on the bed. "How was it, Sweetheart?" Her daughter related all the beautiful details of the yacht and her companion (minus the scene in the bedroom!)

Mrs Hino could see some heaviness weighing on her little girl's face and assumed that it had to do with him. "Do you care about him?"

"Mmm, yes...At this point he cares more, I think. I'm not yet ready to go steady with him, which is what he wants."

"Well, take your time, Dear. If he really cares, he'll wait."

"I know." All the boys were waiting for her and she had no clue as to how she would go about making up her mind between them.

Her mother tucked her in, kissed her on the forehead and turned out the lamp before she left the room. She sighed, feeling that life was going too fast. She wondered how long it would be before they would be celebrating a wedding.

* * *

Azuma was finding it hard to sleep. It was her decision now and there probably wasn't much more that he could do. He had showed her in every possible way how serious he was. He knew that if he didn't share himself with her now it might be too late, so tonight he had pulled out all the stops. He just hoped it was enough.

_

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Sigh...Azuma can be so romantic_._

I doubt that Azuma actually loves Kaho yet. He senses that she could be a catalyst in his life and he doesn't want to lose her. The timing of this audition process is a big factor in his decision to win her. But he obviously cares about her too.

**Next Chapter:** Hanging out at the Tsukimori residence. Sweet, sweet, sweet :)


	16. Chapter 16

_The morning after Kahoko's date with Azuma..._

The alarm clock was extra annoying this morning, probably because she got in so late last night. As the redhead got dressed she realized how full her dreams had been. So much had happened, it made her head spin. Yu...Azuma had promised so much of himself to her and it made her a little nervous that he would make that big a sacrifice. She was truly, deeply touched, but she mustn't let a grand gesture sway her. She would make her final decision according to other things...

There was still a date with Kaji-kun, and there was no point in torturing herself into confusion before she had experienced being with all of the boys.

* * *

Seeing Etou-kun waiting for her at the corner made her happy. It would be nice to engage in light walking-to-school conversation. When she reached him he gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You look tired."

"Mm. I'm always tired these days" she said. To think that only hours ago she was dancing on a yacht in Tokyo Bay.

* * *

Math class was a welcome distraction from the other thoughts swirling around in her head. If she could learn to concentrate on one thing at a time it would be a good thing. Thoughts of boys could wait. OK now; focus on polynomial expressions...

* * *

After a dull day of school Kahoko crashed into her mattress and slept soundly for two hours. She popped out of bed feeling better for it, inhaled some food and took a taxi to the Tsukimori residence.

* * *

He opened the door, looking relaxed in his long-sleeved t-shirt and corduroys. "Hino; come in." He stepped backward to let her into the foyer, then took her cardigan from her and hung it in the closet. Grabbing her book bag, he led her to the living room and put the bag on the coffee table. He turned to her with a shy smile and drank in the sight of her petite figure for a couple moments before she commented "You look happy, Tsukimori-kun."

Len smiled a little wider, mostly to himself. He took her hand and tugged until she followed him down the hall to the music room. Gesturing for her to make herself comfortable in the gold brocade armchair, he picked his violin off the top of the grand piano. After his first few notes she recognized the piece. She had heard him play Meditation from Thais before. It was full of long phrases that led the listener on a poignant journey. The way he was playing now was very different from how he played it before, though! He was moving his body more and his interpretation was more emotional. In fact, he seemed to be overflowing with feeling. It was a powerful experience to listen to him; one couldn't help but be affected. Certainly Kahoko was. When his final note had disappeared into the ether, he looked at his guest for her reaction and saw that her golden eyes were brimming with tears.

She sprang up out of the chair and ran to him. He raised his violin and bow up high, out of perceived danger as she flung her arms around him. "That was so beautiful!" she cried. With one hand he managed to reach over her head to rest his violin and bow back on top of the piano. With his arms free he embraced her and spoke in a low voice against her temple.

"My music is changing. It feels like a wall inside me has broken...and I feel things..." He rubbed his cheek down along hers. "...because of you."

She leaned back to appreciate the gentle smile that softened his face. He brought his smile closer and softly touched it to her lips. Lifting her scarred wrist, he kissed it too. Sighing, he suggested "Shall we get your homework out of the way?"

* * *

He showed her to the dining room table where they spent the next 45 minutes working on her assignments. He wasn't very good at explaining things in a way that she understood, but he knew the answers. He tried to find different ways to describe the process, and she kept an open mind about his approach. One way or another they were able to talk their way through it and the work was done. Who knew that dating could be so beneficial to one's education?

* * *

"Thank you, Tsukimori-kun! Now I'm all yours. What did you have planned for us this evening?"

He looked embarrassed. "Uh...I didn't…I just wanted to play for you...and spend time together…"

"Oh; that's nice…Well, what do you usually do at home when you're not practicing?"

He looked at her blankly.

"You mean you're always practicing?...If you're not asleep or eating, you're on the violin?"

Len nodded, like 'of course'.

"Hmm…Do you have any board games around the house? Playing cards?"

"I don't know where...Oh…There are some jigsaw puzzles that I used to do with my grandmother…"

"Great! Shall we work on one together?"

He thought for a minute… "I think they're in the closet." She followed him down the hall to a closet that was full of scrapbooks, boxes of memorabilia, and a stack of jigsaw puzzle boxes. He pulled them out and let her choose. "Ooh, I like this one. It seems grandmotherly." It was a medium-sized puzzle with 500 small pieces. The design was a painting of a pagoda surrounded by cherry trees in bloom, next to a pond with some ducks.

He put the other boxes away and stood up with her chosen one. "This should fit on the coffee table."

Having removed a vase and a couple books to a side table in the living room, the two violinists sat next to each other on the sofa and opened the box. As they began turning the pieces right-side-up, Kahoko asked "Will you tell me about your grandmother?"

"Yes...She died when I was 12…She looked after me a lot...Every weekend we would spend some time working on a puzzle…She would tell me about her childhood."

Her mind's eye offered a picture of what a serious little Len might have looked like, and how important his grandmother must have been to him.

"That sounds nice. It's such a nice thing for a child to get to know a grandparent that way. Young and old together; it gives each a different way of seeing the world."

He looked at her as if he hadn't quite thought about it that way before. "Yes…She was a piano teacher. My grandfather too. They worked hard to send my mother to university. Grandmother always told me how fortunate I would be to have the opportunity to continue with music. Many people can't follow their passion."

"Very true. We shouldn't take it for granted…And you don't. You work so hard."

"So do you." He looked at her with his piercing eyes.

"I try. I don't have much confidence, but I want it so much." She regarded him with feeling. "If only I could play like you."

He shook his head and put a hand on her shoulder. "You already have the most important ingredient. I hope that someday I can play with as much heart as you do. Your music is honest…and generous…" He was straining to put his finger on the effect that her violin playing had on him. When it came down to it, words probably weren't enough. With his mouth still open in search of something to add, he put a hand on her cheek. "You…" His eyes rested on her lips and he decided that his mouth could be put to better use…

The power of his gaze made her blush. He was an intense guy. It was all-or-nothing with him, and in this moment it was all about her. All of the focus that he daily put into the violin was now directed at her. She felt the power of his attention in her bones. She was frozen in place as he bent his head to her and when his lips touched down she was sure that she would leave her body. The young man that kissed her after the concert had been somewhat tentative in approaching her; _this _Tsukimori _knew _what he wanted in this moment, and there could be no doubt that _she _was it. He had barely begun to touch her and she was already electrified.

Kahoko was breathless as the boy laid her backward on the sofa and carefully climbed onto her. Seeing his handsome face above her and feeling his masculine frame on her was making her heart race.

Retracing his moves from last time, the Len lightly tickled and kissed her neck until she was visibly quivering. His mouth and fingers caressed her into a state of such arousal that she began mewing with pleasure. When his mouth covered hers again she sanctioned the reunion with a prolonged moan.

The prodigy steeled himself to be gentle and slow. He didn't want to scare her with his passion. Heck, his passion scared _him_. He wanted her so much; she was the first thing he had ever desired besides mastery of the violin. She was such a puzzle to him and he was drawn to decoding the mysteries of her feminine being. His fingers were learning to tease music from her but he felt like a rank beginner. Not that he wasn't motivated to learn. With her sweet melody as the lure, he would try new things and uncover her secrets.

He headed lower and lower until he was pulling at her blouse neckline to clear a path for his roving mouth. "Is this okay?" he raised his head to pin her with his citrine eyes. To answer him she undid the top 2 buttons and waited for him to kiss the new skin revealed. He promptly bent to the task and followed her fingers with his lips and tongue as she undid more buttons. When all the buttons were dispatched she began bit-by-bit pulling her bra cup aside, with his face not far behind. Her teasing pace was driving him mad with lust and he removed her hands so he could take charge of the unveiling. Noticing the front closure design of her bra, he freed her breasts in 3 seconds flat.

Ohhh...So this was what a girl felt like there. No wonder men yearned after the body female. She was all silky softness and delicate weight. With one hand slowly kneading her on one side, his mouth tasted her peak on the other and made a meal of it. "Oh Len!" She hadn't realized that she was that close to calling him by his first name. All it took was some suckling? And now with one of her hands at the back of his head and the other working its way down toward his tailbone, she encouraged him to fit himself snugly between her legs. "Kahoko…" he whispered breathily as he pressed against her. There was a moment when their eyes found each other in wonder before returning to the task of releasing new notes of pleasure. They were zealously grasping at each other when alarm bells went off in his groin and his head. "Stop-stop-stop…" he quietly warned himself and quickly sat up, tightly holding his crotch to keep it from exploding. He grabbed her hand to reassure her as he fought for control.

After some deep breaths, he pulled her upright with a self-conscious grin. "Let's work on the puzzle some more." He put his arm around her, kissed her cheek and handed her one of the edge pieces. The remainder of the evening consisted of the relaxed placing of puzzle pieces, the rubbing of a shoulder or knee, affectionate kisses.

She was amazed at his recent evolution. He was giving her credit for this? She couldn't begin to fathom how her music would have any influence on him. But what a wonderful metamorphosis. The great Tsukimori Len was more awesome than ever.

* * *

Later when he dropped her off at home, he reverently pressed a kiss to her temple. "Thank you for being my muse." As he watched her ascend the steps to her front door he began to wonder if maybe she was as important to him as the trip to Europe would be.

* * *

Late that night, Len's parents let themselves into the foyer and hung up their jackets. As they entered the living room they spied their contented son leaning over a jigsaw puzzle. He looked up with a gleam in his eyes. "Hello Father, Mother...I'll be working on this for a couple days. May we leave it here until I'm finished?"

Hamai Misa looked at her husband in surprise before she answered. "Yes; of course you may, Dear."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I like the idea that Len is this quiet guy and yet he's the embodiment of intensity.**  
**

I love how clueless he is about entertaining a guest. I think the puzzle idea is so sweet. It's an unusual activity to offer, but kind of personal because jigsaws are generally a family project. When I was little my Mom would buy a new jigsaw puzzle every Christmas. **  
**

* * *

I used to have a temperament like Len; you wouldn't believe! I grew up in a classical music family and we moved a lot when I was young. I never really got to know people because of how we kept moving, and I was quiet, cerebral, unemotional. I felt that I had very little in common with the other kids in school, and they thought I was a snob. I was actually just shy and awkward at socializing with my peers. I was much more comfortable talking with my parents and other adults, than I was with kids of my own age.

My parents died a few years ago and that completely changed things for me. Because of dealing with grief and having to pull myself together so I could go on with my life, I became a softer, more empathetic person. Because I hadn't been able to stop my parents from dying (different illnesses, they died a year apart) I discovered that I didn't have as much control as I thought I did. I learned to go with the flow of life, to accept change, to welcome new people and influences. Complete reversal of my approach to life.

That's where I'm coming from as I develop Len's character in this story. When you're used to having a certain amount of control, you can rationalize all kinds of things about who you are...when actually you may be just inexperienced, and maybe even afraid. Once you experience the change that you were afraid of, this whole new world opens up and you are forced to rethink everything.

Oh yeah...as a violinist, I used to be so clinical and logical in my approach to music. I played well but I didn't really feel much. I marveled at how my mother played violin with so much feeling that she would move anyone to tears. After my parents' death, the dam burst in me. All this emotion started pouring through me when I played, and to this day it's like turning on a light switch. Pick up violin, put the bow on the string, and all this powerful stuff flows through me. So awesome, such a miracle. That's why I write about it a lot, like in Air Violin.

So I don't know if you think the change in Len is OoC or not. It _can _happen that way though, and in my case the change was dramatic!

* * *

**Next Chapter: **Kahoko has a heart-to-heart with one of the girls...Kaji Aoi comforts her once again


	17. Chapter 17

Etou Kiriya shuffled his feet as he waited on the street corner. Of course she was late, but he was getting used to that. She was so consistent in her lateness that he could set a watch to her. In a couple minutes the Hinos' front door would open and slam behind the bouncy girl and she would reach him at a trot, apologizing profusely. His mouth turned up at the thought.

She was so different from him. How he would love to see the look on his cousin's face if he knew about her. The other day he was calling Kiriya gay. What a jerk. It was the way he said it, implying that he was a hypocritical coward, all these years too scared to 'come out of the closet'. Asshole...If only he knew that his heart had been captured by a certain petite redhead _female _who was so guileless and sweet as to be the complete opposite of him... And that he was so wrapped around her little finger that every morning he made sure to be on that corner 10 min early, just in case she ever wasn't late and he missed her.

The waiting was driving him crazy. Not waiting to walk with her, but waiting for her to decide who she wanted to go steady with. He could handle the rejection; it would be just a question of allowing his heart to harden over again, like it was before. Numbness and cynicism had served him well. But this wishing and hoping...this business of having desires made him feel more vulnerable than he was comfortable with. How could he have let this happen? All for the sake of holding her delicate body against his chest...the endless pleasure of tasting her soft lips...seeing those long lashes flutter over her sparkling eyes when he touched her...

Ah, there she was now, sprinting toward him. Within a minute he would have her in his arms, if only for a moment...

* * *

Standing outside homeroom she was just about to shut off her phone before entering, when she got a text from Nami suggesting that they meet during 3rd period spare. Kahoko replied in the affirmative, and turned to smile at Aoi who greeted her with a hand on her shoulder. "How are you doing?" he asked with way too much conspicuous empathy for 8:29 on a Wednesday morning. "Mm. I'm good. Thanks for asking, Kaji-kun." He gave her shoulder a squeeze before they went into the classroom.

* * *

Kahoko shoved her hip against the heavy metal door to the roof. When her eyes adjusted to the light she could see Nami fingering the branch of a miniature juniper bush in one of the planter boxes. "Kaho!" The sprightly blonde whirled to greet her friend. The two of them chose a bench in the sunlight.

"Okay; spill!" Nami was impatient for juicy details of Kahoko's exploits with the opposite sex.

"Huh?"

"Kaho! We've barely spoken these past several days. I get these ever-so-brief texts from you, and you don't seem to want to say too much at lunch in front of Mio. I don't blame you; if ever a girl could blow things out of proportion, she's it. But now we're alone. I want you to string more than 2 sentences together and tell me what the heck you've been up to."

"Fine." The violinist smiled. Her animated friend always brought her out of herself. "Where shall I start?"

"Start with your first date. It was Ryo, right? What did you guys do? What was he like? Did you make out?"

"Nami!...Well, we went to a Greek restaurant and then did the Sky Walk. He was a total gentleman. But passionate too." She blushed, remembering time spent in a particular closet. "He's serious about me."

"And?..."

"Yes, we kissed. He's...confident in that department."

"More detail?..."

"It was just kissing!"

"God, Kaho; you're hopeless. Can't you give me any more than that?" For the journalist-wanna-be who lived and breathed descriptive words, talking to her simple friend was exasperating.

"We held hands..."

"You held hands; be still my heart...Do you like him?"

"I do. I really like him."

"I see...Next was..."

"Etou-kun"

"You went to a concert together?"

"No...well sort of. It was an art gallery opening and he was playing with a band."

"So how was that?"

"Pretty cool. It was an alternative sort of place, with lots of funky art. It was a different group of people for me to be mixing with."

"Was he nice to you?"

"Yes! He was great. I know that most of the time he's a grumpy guy, but he was really sweet to me... He touched me a lot too." Yipe! Did she say that out loud?

"He touched you, huh?"

"Yes...he's very touchy, actually. We've had some nice hugs."

"_You've had_...you mean you've seen him more than once?"

Uh-oh. "Uhm, well he walks me to and from school most days."

"Reeeally. Thaat's interesting. And is he a good kisser?"

"Nami!"

"Well, if you can't tell a girlfriend, who can you tell?"

"...Yeah, I like the way he kisses"... sigh..."There's something very deep about him."

"Mmm." They were only on guy #2 and she suspected that Kaho was in over her head. Unless she didn't care about the other 4 boys... "Hihara was after that?"

"Yep. We went to the aquarium...He's really fun. It's easy to be with him; we have a lot in common. He's very caring and generous."

"I've always thought he needed to grow up a little."

"Well, he is like a little boys sometimes...and maybe a little unsure of himself. But he has so much to offer."

"I can't imagine him kissing you."

"Actually, Kazuki is a really good kisser." The instant blush on her cheeks confirmed her bold statement.

"Ka-ho-ko! Way to go! So how is he a good kisser?"

"...He kisses slow...and he really loves me. I could feel it when he touched me."

"Slow is good, love is good..." She was picturing Kazuki being in love. "If he's already in love with you...he seems like the type who would be really devastated if you don't pick him...But it's probably just puppy love."

"Whatever it is, it feels real. I just know he would do anything for me."

"Would Ryotaro and Etou do anything for you?"

"Oh...uh...Ryotaro would. I don't know about Etou. Maybe. He's very attentive when we're together..."

"All right...Tsukimori."

"He took me to a chamber music concert."

She rolled her eyes. "That's heady stuff, Girlfriend."

"Humph! Nami, you're not a musician so you wouldn't know. It was a great experience!"

"And Mr. Ice was the epitome of romance, I suppose?"

"Well, in his own way..."

"In his own way, hmm. You mean that he's such an exalted violin prodigy that it wouldn't matter if he ever touched you..." She was goading her friend on purpose, in the hopes of getting more out of her.

"That's not nice! He's actually very passionate."

Nami's ears pricked up "...about the violin?"

"He's a passionate...you know, kisser."

"O.M.G!...You're kidding me! Are you saying that Tsukimori actually kissed you?...Wait; it was probably a chaste little peck."

"Um, Nami; I think that by now I know the difference. I did say 'passionate', didn't I?" Kahoko was scowling.

"Ookay. So he was 'passionate'. Any _touching _going on?..." she asked hopefully.

"Yes, lots."

"All righty!... So can we just take stock for a moment? How far have you gone, exactly?"

"Nami-chan! I'm not telling you that!"

"Why not? Don't be coy. This is girl talk. At the rate that you're dating, I may have something to learn from you. So...You've kissed, and obviously somewhere along the way you'd be experiencing some tongue action..." She scratched her head "Boobs. Has anyone touched them?"

The pink look on her friend's face gave her the answer he was looking for. "Golly! Good for you...Have any of them licked you anywhere?"

Kahoko's eyes flew wide, but she nodded slowly. Her expression was so cute; a mix of embarrassment and pride.

"Were your boobs ever _uncovered_?"

"NAAMII!" she whined. The violinist's face was beet red and Nami knew she was onto something. "I'm right, aren't I! Someone took them out! We're on a roll here..."

"Stop it, stop it! I'll tell you the rest!" She had to put an end to this torturous inquisition. "Somebody touched me down there for a couple seconds, OK? And that's as far as things got. I didn't sleep with anyone."

"...not yet, anyway. 'Touched you down there'. All right!..So who did you go out with next?"

Whew! She didn't have to tell how she was grinding Ryo in the closet! "Next was Azuma."

"_Azuma_, is it? You're first-naming both him _and _Hihara? That could put a strain on their friendship." She rubbed her hands together with fiendish delight. "This is getting good. I suppose that _Azuma _took you somewhere impressive."

"A yacht. We circled around the bay."

"And while the yacht was circling, you and Prince Yunoki were..."

"We had dinner and danced."

"Pfff. Not good enough, Kaho. This is the guy that did unspeakable things to you in that practice room. I just know that he was putting the major moves on you..._especially _on his private yacht."

"He was really wonderful, actually. Very romantic." She wasn't about to share the lengths to which Azuma had promised to go in order to make her happy. It was no one's business but their own. "It's true that he is bolder in _that _department, but he stopped when I asked him to."

Nami's jaw hung slack. "You're defending the guy that touched you 'down there'. You sure have changed a lot."

"I didn't say that _he _was the one that..."

"Spare me. You and I both know that he's the most likely candidate for _that _move...Now... you still have dreamy Kaji to go on a date with, don't you? When is that?"

"That's on Saturday."

"Oh, I know what I missed! How many of _their _body parts have you touched or uncovered?"

"YOU! You're too much!"

Nami-chan grinned at the compliment. "...but you love me anyway...Come on now, or I'll have to resort to prying it out of you."

The redhead was biting her lip.

"Kahoko, you know I can."

"Oh all right." Her eyes focused up to the left as she reached for her memories. "I touched someone's bare chest..."

"Ooh, I hope it was Ryo's or Hihara's!"

"...I felt a couple bare backs..."

"Yeah, that happens naturally when you're kissing... And?..."

Her companion was mute with embarrassment. She had no intention of sharing the last bit. But Nami had a nose for things wanting to be kept hidden. "Ka-hohh...Did you touch someone down there?"

Kahoko was doubled over, hiding her face in her lap.

"Wow, Girlfriend. You really have come a long way. I'm very _very _jealous." And she was. The kissing audition was a way for her to live vicariously through her popular little friend. She didn't know how good she had it, with all those guys falling over themselves to be with her.

* * *

The talk with Nami-chan had reminded her of the enormity of her impending decision. All of these guys were great, each in their own way, and she had grown very fond of them. How could she choose? As the afternoon wore on, Kahoko was feeling more and more overwhelmed and depressed. Her last date was coming up on the weekend, and then she would have to reject five of the guys. She hated hurting people and yet what else could she do? In this situation she would have no choice, and they would hate her.

By the time she got home she was in quite a blue funk. All she could think of was to talk to him. He would make her feel better.

She dialed his number. She knew she was being selfish, but she was desperate. She needed the kind of empathetic support that only he could give. "Kaji-kun?" She was already tearing up.

"Yes, hi Kahoko. What's wrong?"

"I need someone to talk to, and you always make me feel better…sniff…sniff"

"Shall I come over?"

"Oh…no; my Mom will be home in an hour."

"Then I'll come get you. We can go for a drive."

"Uh…Okay…"

"I'll be there in 15 minutes."

* * *

He was soon at her door and leading her to the car. Seeing how she was barely holding herself together, he turned his attention toward finding the nearest quiet spot where they could sit. A few minutes later he pulled into the large parking lot of a church and parked in the furthest corner, next to a small orchard. He turned off the engine and held her hand. "Talk to me."

She looked at him and the tears began to fall. He shuffled over on the seat to put his arms around her as the sobbing began. He knew that the best thing he could do was to hold her, let her cry it out, and listen when she was ready to talk. He waited patiently as she wept and wept and apologized against his chest. "Sh-shh…" He rocked her and soothed her until the tears stopped. When her little pink face surfaced, he combed the hair out of her eyes and wiped her tears.

When she was ready, Kahoko lay her head back on his chest and began describing the weight of responsibility she felt and how the burden was increasing as the boys were liking her more and more. After dating them, she didn't feel any closer to making a choice, and she was dreading hurting anyone's feelings.

Aoi held her close and stroked her hair as he listened. In spite of his intention to be the best kind of impartial friend, his own feelings were throbbing near the surface. He wanted her for himself, and she had just clearly related to him what a hardship that kind of expectation could be to her. Would he ever get a fair shot, or would he always be the guy that she ran to when she was upset about her relationship with someone else? She was in his arms now and the temptation to kiss her was getting stronger with each passing second.

Kahoko was finally all talked-out and quietly enjoying the comfort of his embrace as he rubbed her back. He always seemed to know just what to do to make her feel better, and she didn't feel ready to leave his care just yet. She was experiencing something else too…flashes of memory, of when he kissed her and touched her and made her feel amazing. As she reminisced, she became aware of the silence becoming electric between them…and subtle sounds getting louder… of his hand creating gentle friction on her back…his quickening heartbeat and shallow breathing…him swallowing. All of a sudden she knew how close he was to kissing her and she felt shy…overwhelmingly shy. She sat up with a jolt, saying in a voice too bright "Thank you, Kaji-kun. I'm sorry to be a bother." He immediately got that his opportunity was gone…for now.

"You could never be a bother, Hino-san."

He squeezed her hand reassuringly. The smile on his face was peaceful but she caught the disappointment in his eyes. As she pondered his expression she suddenly realized how he might be feeling, and she felt _awful_ about it. He had been so good to her, so selfless and here she was imposing herself on him _and _pushing him away. How could she be so insensitive? Whether or not his presence gave her butterflies in the stomach, that was no excuse for being this self-indulgent. She felt desperate to undo the damage...

Gratitude and affection replaced nervousness as she raised his hand to her face and rubbed her cheek in his palm. His face was frozen in surprise, so she placed a soft kiss in his palm before holding his gaze again. His eyes misted over as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. She was still smiling serenely at him and he understood the invitation. He touched his lips to her with sensual warmth. Very slowly they kissed each other, with Kahoko's heart quivering. How could he be so soothing and exciting at the same time?

It was Aoi who let the kiss end. He wanted her to feel comfortable with him, and also hoped that by showing restraint now, sparks would fly on their date. She had given him permission to act freely with her at the villa, and now more than ever he was looking forward to it.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Has that ever happened to you, where you're in a potentially intimate situation and you let your nerves get the best of you? I know I have. I hate being awkward around people...and being transparent makes it worse. Gah!

Speaking of which, do any of you blush as much as Kahoko does? It's rare for me to blush. I imagine that blushing like that would make you so vulnerable, like everyone can see how you feel.

Kaji handled that crying situation well. Most guys can't handle it when girls cry. Men like to take action and to fix things immediately when something's wrong. But you usually can't fix a woman's tears. The best thing that a guy can do is to listen sympathetically, which is hard to do.

Nami's quite something. No sense of restraint or respect for privacy. Perfect journalist material.

Etou going early to wait on the corner for Kahoko. Awwww...She'll never know that he did that. So sweet when a guy makes sacrifices for you and doesn't tell you about it.

**Next Chapter:** dinner at Etou Kiriya's place ;)


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:** I just have to say Thanks so much for your ongoing reviews, which are wonderfully supportive, enthusiastic, funny, thought-provoking. I hope you are reading what each other have to say, because your reviews are enriching the experience of following the story. You really inspire me to keep things going, to keep with the flow of the plot, giving me perspective. I can honestly say that I wouldn't have gotten this far without you. You're the Best!

**Lemon Alert:** This chapter is the most graphic I've gotten about delving into private body parts, so be warned! It you thought the closet scene and the Azuma date were too hot for comfort, you may prefer to walk away from this chapter altogether, contenting yourself with this information: They went almost all the way in his bedroom...

As for the rest of you, I'm betting that your interest is now piqued...

* * *

_Thursday afternoon..._

After last class he was waiting for her by her locker. "Hello Etou-kun!"

"Hey" he grinned. He waited as she gathered her homework books and stuffed them into her school bag. "Give me that." He grabbed her bag and slung it over his shoulder. She removed another bag from her locker and demurred when he offered to carry that one too. "It's light; I don't want to be in my school uniform all evening so I brought a change of clothes." The two of them began conversing as they walked out the door and onto the street. Azuma's limo was gone already. She mentally gave him points for giving her some space.

It was a blustery day. The wind whipped through their hair and flapped their clothes around. She was relieved when he steered them onto a more sheltered street where huge old trees kept the wind at bay. To think that Etou-kun lived so close to her and she was unaware of it until recently. As they walked, the homes were progressively bigger and the cars more expensive. Etou's house was more like a small mansion. "We have the house to ourselves. My parents are hardly ever home, and this week they're actually out of town."

Once inside he took her bag from her and put it on the floor. He turned and pulled her into his embrace, squeezing her hard and lifting her off her feet before giving her a relatively chaste kiss. "You'll want a tour of the house. Everybody does." She nodded and he led her by the hand through two floors of mid-century-modern design, replete with fine pieces of iconic furniture and art. "My father is crazy about this stuff."

As they traveled along one hall he pointed to a bathroom "You can change in there". She closed the door and slipped into a pair of comfortable black yoga pants and a white peasant blouse with red embroidery. She was horrified to see what the wind had done to her hair. She couldn't even comb through it with her fingers. She folded up her uniform into her bag and stepped out into the hall. "Etou-kun?" she called.

He appeared from a nearby door wearing a plain grey ripped t-shirt and drawstring cotton pants. "Do you have a comb I can borrow? Preferably a wide-toothed one?"

He walked past her into the bathroom, rifled through a drawer and pulled one out. "How's this?"

"That's good."

He soaped the comb and rinsed it with hot water before drying it thoroughly with a towel. "Thanks." She held out her hand. To her surprise, he took her hand in his and led her further down the hall into one of the rooms. Her jaw hung slack as she looked around. It was obviously his bedroom. It was neat and tidy, and decorated with items that presumably inspired him. There were paintings and posters of violinists and various mixed media art pieces everywhere. On the bed was an amazing quilt like she had never seen before. It was all jagged pieces of various fabrics that didn't match, with decorative stitching and transferred photographic images.

He vaulted to the middle of the bed with comb in hand and sat comfortably with legs crossed in half-lotus position. She stared at him, still not understanding.

"Come on; I don't bite."

"What?"

"I'm going to fix your hair. There's no way that _you'd_ be able to untangle that rat's nest."

"You know how?" Untangling long hair could be tricky. This should be interesting. She crawled over to sit in front of him, with her back to him.

"Yeah. I'm good with hair." Assessing the situation with his fingers, he encountered several knots. Grabbing the comb, he began a couple inches from the bottom, easing the teeth gently through the less matted bits. With each section that he worked on, he held it from above the strands with his other hand so he wouldn't cause her any pain. Little by little he started his strokes higher and higher as he successfully worked out the kinks. Her hair was beginning to regain its luster and while the comb in one hand was making long passes, the fingers of his other hand were stroking through the silky strands. Finally all the tangles were out and he was combing through from her temple and forehead. What he was doing felt amazingly sensual to her. He put the comb down and sat right up against her before running through her hair with both hands. She couldn't help but relax back against his chest, sighing with pleasure.

Wrapping his arms around her, he rested his chin on her shoulder and leaned his head against hers. "You feel good" he said.

"So do you" she returned in a whisper.

All of a sudden he rocked backward on the bed, pulling her with him. She yelped in surprise to find herself on top of him and he laughed. He wriggled out from under her and lay alongside, propped up on his elbow. Gently combing the hair out of her eyes, he spoke intimately "You're the first girl I've ever let into my room."

She looked into his dark violet eyes. "You've never had a girlfriend before?"

He smirked in self-appraisal. "You know what I'm like. Can you imagine a girl wanting to put up with me?...But it's different with you..." He palmed her cheek. "Maybe I just hadn't met the right girl." He gently brushed the tip of her nose with his, before kissing her with conscious sensuality.

She knew that he could be anti-social and critical, but she hadn't seen one whit of it since he kissed her for the first time in that practice room. "You've been so good to me, Etou-kun. I really enjoy being with you..."

"Call me Kiriya."

She was getting used to hearing this request. "All right, Kiriya. Call me Kahoko if you like." She was in such a strange predicament with these guys. She had gotten so close to each of them that it seemed right to call them by their first names. But maybe 5 of them would soon regret it. She winced in pain at the thought.

He caught her grimace and kissed her temple, persuading her in a warm tone of voice. "This may be our last time together, Kahoko. Let's not think of what might or might not be. Be here with me now, okay?"

She nodded and met his lips with full presence, intent on blocking out unpleasant what-ifs. Why worry about something she currently had no control over? After the weekend was the time to face herself and come to terms with her actions.

As they made love to each others mouths, his hand swept over her skin. Shimmering waves grew from her as he stroked down her arm and eased her shirt upward so he could caress her stomach. His fingers told him how smooth her skin was and he lifted his head to confirm the allure of her midriff. "You would look awesome with a belly ring" he said, making her wriggle as he circled her navel with his index finger.

She was highly amused by the thought. "I would, would I?" she giggled.

"Undoubtedly."

He slipped his fingertips just beneath the elastic waistband of her yoga pants and stroked from one hip across to the other. It felt good, but her senses were on high alert, waiting for him to withdraw. Instead he pushed his fingers a little farther and softly flirted with the skin just short of her mound. "Is this OK?" he asked, kissing her.

"Uh...I don't know..."

"Well then; say 'stop'."

"Hmm...?"

"Right now; say 'stop'."

"...Stop." His hand instantly froze.

"See how easy that is?"

"Yes?...I guess."

"You can tell me to stop whenever you want." Covering her mouth with his, he resumed flirting at the periphery of her most sensitive areas, for now keeping out of the places that he assumed would make her nervous. "How's this?"

"Okay..."

With soothing pressure his fingers cautiously went a little further south, playing in her soft fuzz. He kissed her temple while explaining "I've read a lot about it but I've never done this before. You'll have to help me. Tell me how it feels."

She was a little breathless with awareness of where his hand was, but she felt more anticipation than actual sensation. "It's okay."

"How about this?" He slid down with his longest finger along her slit, and she arched up in surprise. "Aaahh! It...tickles!"

He was puzzled by that. "Like actually...ticklish?" He continued to gently trace along her ridge and her sighs of arousal belied her previous statement. "Maybe not ticklish" she breathed..."it feels good...really good...like looking forward to something..."

"Can you spread your legs a bit? I want to try something..."

"W-why?"

"I read that the top of the inside thigh is sensitive."

"Oh..." She could say stop at any time, right?...With some trepidation she spaced her legs apart a little. Her body was urging her to keep going ahead on this path. He slipped a finger along the valley between her thigh and her flower. "Ahhhh..." she sang. He repeated the movement on the other side and then found a way to tease both sides and her slit at the same time. "Ahhhhh!...Stop! STOP!"

He comfortingly rested his hand in place. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, it's just so...intense! It feels like I'm losing control of my body. I need to catch my breath." Her heart was racing.

"Kahoko, have you ever...pleasured yourself?" He looked clinically serious, but she blushed hotly with embarrassment.

"No..."

His face relaxed in understanding. "Ah, that's why. You're not used to these feelings."

_"You are?"_

"Of course. Guys do it to themselves all the time."

"Oh." That explained why guys were generally more confident in that area...and more eager to get to it with a girl.

He moved his fingers a bit "May I continue?"

"Wait. Etou..._Kiriya_, is it okay for us to be doing this?"

"Why? Aren't you enjoying it?"

"I am, but I'm just wondering if there are any reasons why it wouldn't be okay. Adults are always saying not to..."

"There's nothing wrong with what we're doing, and there's no one here except you and me, Kahoko. I like being able to share this with you, but more than anything I want you to be happy. If you're not comfortable, then we'll stop. I'm just happy to be with you. We don't have to do this."

His words made her realize that she really was fine with the fact of him touching her. She wouldn't be telling her Mom about this encounter, but it's not like she was going to get pregnant or catch some communicable disease from his fingers. She trusted him and enjoyed being close to him. There was something special about being intimate with him. "Maybe a little more...but..."

"Yes?..."

"I know this may seem funny, but I would feel better if I could touch you too...a little...at the same time." Giving her something else to focus on might diffuse some of the intensity of the sensations she was experiencing. And she wouldn't have to feel like she was on center stage.

"Of course." He smiled to himself. He certainly had no problem with her touching him. He waiting as she rolled onto her side to face him, and he gasped when she slipping her hand into his pants. "Here, let me..." He undid the drawstring waistband so her wrist circulation wouldn't get cut off. He grinned at her. "How do I feel down there?"

She blushed as her hand gingerly acquainted itself with his length. "You're hot!"

"Hot is good. I don't suppose you would be interested in taking off some clothes to make this easier?" The alarm on her face answered his question. "No, huh? Fine." He began teasing her slit again, accompanied by her sighs. He made a motion to pry her legs apart and Kahoko took the hint, pulling her upper leg up to give him better access.

"How does it feel here?" He had found her opening and was circling it.

She answered with panting moans, squeezing him perhaps a little too hard. "Be gentle with me, okay Kahoko?" he requested against her cheek.

"Sorry." But if she grabbed him too tightly it would be his fault she decided as he relentlessly aroused her in that particular location. And then when he slipped his finger inside her she almost yelled against his chest. Wisely, he withdrew to give her time to adjust from the potency of that feeling. Using his wet finger to spread some of her slippery fluid around, he went searching for the button at the top of her slit. Working at it with his thumb, he listened for her feedback. She was singing short phrases and almost absentmindedly stroking him. He wasn't going to be able to hold on for much longer. He decided that he could probably have one finger inside her while simultaneously rubbing her with his thumb. Make that two fingers. With one finger making sure that she was wet enough, he added the second digit and stroked her button in circular motion.

She was driven almost outside of her body with sensations assailing her from all directions. Her emotions made vocal were driving him to the brink, and he covered her mouth to partake in her song. To both their surprise, he suddenly added his voice with a long moan and she felt liquid squirting into her hand. He pulled his hand out of her underwear and squeezed her tightly to him as he rode out the gripping final waves of his climax. When he had sighed a couple times and regained his breath, he hugged the source of his inspiration.

"Kahoko..." He kissed every part of her face in rapid succession, ending with a heartfelt kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry. I meant to stop in time, but I got so excited. How are you?"

"Uh…fine, I guess. That was much more…passionate than I thought it would be."

His voice took on innuendo as he spoke in her ear. "Imagine how much more passionate it would be if I were inside you." He flexed his groin against her hip to illustrate his point.

The idea had her quivering with excitement and embarrassment as she felt little personal spasms below. "I don't know if I could take that kind of excitement."

"Of course you could. I hope I'm around when you do."

"Uhm, Kiriya..." she pulled her slimy hand out of his pants and showed it to him.

"Oh! Sorry." He rolled away from her to reach into his nightstand drawer. Grabbing a cotton handkerchief, he carefully wiped off her hand. "Why don't you go use the bathroom first. Help yourself to the washcloths in the middle drawer."

"Yeah." She disappeared from the room and he reached into his pants to swab the mess. Tossing the handkerchief into his laundry bin, he sprang out of bed and found clean clothes in his wardrobe. When she returned he said "I'm going to take a quick shower. I'll be right back."

* * *

When he came back she was sitting in the middle of the bed, looking pensive. He crawled onto the bed to enclose her with his body. "Are you sure you're all right?"

She looked into his concerned eyes and sought to reassure him. "Yes, of course. It was great. It's just a lot to take in."

"Do you have any questions?"

"Hmm...I don't think so...I guess I'm still wondering if it was all right to do what we did...but I also kind of want more. It's very exciting. I didn't know my body could feel like that." She blushed at having exposed her emotions.

"It sounds to me like those are normal feelings."

"You think so?"

"Sure. Even I feel a little like that. Well, I don't have any doubts about whether we should have done it or not, but it was new for me too. I just really wanted to do that with you...because...because I love you..."

"Pardon?"

He lifted her chin to make sure she could see the truth in his eyes as he said it again. "I love you, Kahoko." He kissed her tenderly. "I wouldn't have shared this with you if I didn't."

She was quivering with emotion and he squeezed her against his chest. His heart began to break as he dared to ask "Do you think you could ever love me?" She burrowed further into his embrace, saying "I'm sure that I already do a little."

He leaned back to look at her indulgently, if with a bit of disappointment. "You're sure that you already love me a little." She stared at him mutely. There wasn't any more that she could truthfully offer him right now. He sighed. "Well, I guess I can live with that." He had no choice. And maybe her present feelings were the thin edge of a wedge of love that would come later...Heck, they were young. Maybe he should relax a bit.

* * *

They sank into one of their deep hugs for a while before he inquired "Are you ready to eat?" She was famished. They rolled out of bed and he led her by the hand to the kitchen. He beckoned her to sit at the kitchen table as he busied himself in food preparation. The air was already perfumed with the scent of basmati rice that he had put in the steamer earlier. He turned up the heat under a pot of dal (lentil soup). With deft hands he pulled various vegetables out of the fridge, cut them up and flash-steamed them in a pan. He was simultaneously heating ghee (clarified butter) in another pan, into which he threw black mustard seeds and put a lid on it until the seeds popped like little fireworks. Then he added turmeric, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, black pepper and fresh ginger. A couple minutes later the steamed vegetables were ready and he drizzled the hot ghee-spice mix, which sputtered satisfyingly as it made contact with the water droplets on the veggies.

He quickly got all the food elements on the table. Sitting down close to her, he explained the dishes to her. "I'm vegetarian" he added. "Hope it's OK for you. The dal is full of protein."

"It looks and smells great! Thank you so much."

They served themselves and dove into the meal with vigor. He occasionally put his arm around her and kissed her cheek.

* * *

Afterward they sat at a large desk in the study, to spread out her homework. Not only did he help her work through her assignments, but he explained a few extra things to give her some perspective. She felt better-prepared than if she had done the assignments by herself.

* * *

A very special part of the evening was when he played violin for her. He was working on a new composition and invited her to listen to it. Once again she was in awe of his abilities and his creativity, and told him so. She was delighted when he gave her a little lesson in how to improvise. Handing her his violin, he had her play some scales and arpeggios, showing her how to use them to embellish melodic passages. To her surprise, she was able to do a lot of what he said. She felt like she'd been given keys to a magic kingdom!

* * *

It was getting late and they were dreading the countdown. He led her to the sofa and pulled her into his arms, even wrapping his legs around her as rubbed his head softly against hers. "Don't forget me" he whispered.

They were soon walking to her place, hand in hand. She stopped as they reached her block. "Thanks for everything...Kiriya" she said sincerely as she kissed his cheek. He put her bag down and crushed her to him before kissing her thoroughly. "Thank you, Kahoko." He shouldered her bag once more and they continued toward her house.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Whew! Everybody okay? That was quite a bit of lemon...

I had such a hard time with this Etou evening. The farther I get into the story, the harder it is to keep coming up with fresh material. In fact, I basically rewrote this chapter because it was too similar to the Azuma date...and I was panicking that I would keep you waiting for eons! But finally it flowed to me and here's the result, and it's such a long one too! Hope you like it. I hope it wasn't too OOC, although I think that along the way I've probably taken all of the characters off the map...

This was pretty close to her going 'all the way'...I honestly can't remember much about my first time. Is that weird? Maybe it's because I've been with 4 guys. I remember that I trusted my boyfriend, that he made sure that I was comfortable, and that we had fun. For those of you who have done it, did you have a good experience?

I do remember my first kiss. I was so clueless that whenever he tried to kiss me, I turned my head to offer my cheek. I think I honestly didn't realize that we were dating! Then finally he said something that made me realize his feelings, and I made an attempt at kissing him. Since I didn't know what I was doing, it was a good thing that he took over after a couple seconds!

**Next chapter:** A couple of the guys put pressure on Kahoko. The chapter after that will involve Kazuki.

**BTW: **I've probably made some of you nervous with this chapter, so I feel like I should tell you that Kahoko isn't going to go 'all the way' in this story. She's on a path of rapid sexual education, but she's saving her 'first time' for someone special, possibly the guy that she chooses...They'll date for quite a while and only do it when the time feels right... Ah, but that's another story...


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:** For those of you that bit their nails during the last chapter, you may be relieved to know that this chapter is lemon-free. And I know that I said it would be a Kazuki chapter, but I've had to nudge him into the next one. A couple of the other guys have pressing concerns that Kahoko needs to address first :)

* * *

Friday morning she was half-asleep in her socials class when there was a knock on the door. The teacher walked over to answer it and greeted the person on the other side. After some discussion he turned his head. "Hino-san. You have somewhere to be. Bring your stuff." Kahoko was puzzled until she reached the door and saw Azuma waiting for her. The teacher advised her "I'm giving an assignment today on chapter 14. Make sure you get it later from one of your classmates." He closed the door behind them.

"Good morning, Kahoko." Azuma was smiling although she could tell from his eyes that he wasn't as contented as his expression suggested. "I told your teacher that I have a student council matter to work on with you."

"But you don't?"

"I don't. But we are going to the student council office."

"Why?" She couldn't decide if she was glad to be yanked out of class or not.

"So we can finally have some privacy. Now that Etou is walking you to and from school, I never get to see you."

"Oh. Sorry, Azuma."

"You should be. That's quite the monopoly that he has on your time. You'll have to make it up to me."

"I will? How?" She looked doubtful.

One corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. "I'll let you know."

As they walked down the corridor she gazed at Azuma's handsome profile and thought about his offer to leave his wealth and privilege for her. Waiting for her to decide must be killing him. She was very, very fond of her friend, the flautist prince. Could she commit to him, to the exclusion of the other boys? Gaaah! Why was she torturing herself with this now?...

They were entering the student council office and he locked the door behind them. He threw his keys on a desk and turned toward her while asking in a deceptively off-hand manner "How intimate did you get with Etou last night?"

"Huh?" The blood drained from her face...Stay calm; he's just fishing. Her mind was racing with questions...The most that he could actually know was that she and Kiriya were together last night...Azuma might have followed them to Kiriya's house...

He pressed her against a table and held her chin in his hand while studying her face. "Answer me, Kahoko." His expression was neutral and his voice soft, which made the moment more ominous. She reminded herself that because he was jealous he would probably assume the worst. And she hadn't gone _that _far with Kiriya...OK, maybe it was a little further than she had gone with Azuma, but it wasn't _all the way..._

"Why aren't you answering me?" He watched her eyes dart back and forth as if searching... That meant that she was probably trying to figure out how to cover up something! His heart squeezed with dread. God, maybe they _did _do it...

"He helped me with my homework."

"He helped you with your homework. And what else did he _help _you with?"

He might have seen the two of them walking home. Was that possible? Maybe one of his staff was parked outside the house! Would he have seen them holding hands as they walked home? What about the passionate kiss before Kiriya said goodbye?

"He made me dinner and played violin for me, not that it's any of your business."

"And did he get in your pants?"

"Wha?"

"Kahoko, did you go all the way with him?"

"_Go all the way?_ Of course not!" She found his hands and held them as she met his pained eyes and appealed to his reason. "You know the situation that I'm in, Azuma. You're not the only person involved in my decision, and Etou-kun and I are close...But not _that _close!"

For one moment she saw relief flash in his eyes before they hardened. "This week I'm driving you home after school. Tell him."

"I can't do that..."

"Kahoko, you know that it's only fair. He can walk you in the mornings. Tell him whatever you want to about you and me, but I need to see you."

Her head dropped. She guessed that he was right. A little awkward for her to explain to Kiriya, but Azuma did have a point. With the number of guys involved (not that any of them knew how many) Kiriya had more than his share of her day locked up for himself...Thank goodness all the guys weren't so determined at staking claims on her.

"Okay. I'll tell him."

He couldn't stop his sigh of relief from being audible. "Good Girl." He hated that she was seeing other guys..._ absolutely hated it_...but deep down the truth was that for now he could accept it for her sake as long as he could still have his quality time with her.

With an arm around her shoulder, he walked them over to the vinyl sofa to sit down. He searched her glossy eyes for a few moments before saying "Lie with me." He pulled her down with him and maneuvered himself to her side. "I've missed you" he said, stroking her cheek before kissing her. If she would only convince him that they still had a special intimate connection, he could keep himself from crossing over into the dark side of jealous rage.

Now it was clear to her how much he was hurting. He had offered her more than any of the boys had, and with such an offer came a large emotional investment on his part. With such an investment came greater vulnerability as he teetered on the edge of a huge life decision. All because of her. Considering what his perspective was, he had shown her great patience and restraint...especially for someone like him. Even as he was jumping to conclusions about her and Etou, he was holding himself in check. In his own way he was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt...He must really care for her. With her new empathy she regarded him with as much love and gratitude as she was capable of and met his kisses with tender affection. He felt the fullness of her attention shift to him as she stroked his cheek, and he sank into her with a moan. His caresses were at once loving and possessive, and she accepted that her role in this moment was that of healer.

* * *

On her way to lunch she texted Etou. "Getting a ride w Yunoki after school. Sorry." She would explain it better when she could talk to him in person.

She noticed that she had a text message from Kazuki. Would she like to see him during 4th period spare? Sure, she replied.

* * *

Kahoko was early in arriving to the lunch room, so she saved chairs for Nao, Mio and Amou. No sooner had she sat down, but a male materialized at her side and landed a kiss on her cheek. "Ryotaro!"

He was grinning from ear to ear. "Hey. Nice to catch you by yourself for a change." He sat down next to her with his tray of food. "I guess you're expecting your girlfriends to sit with you? But we have some time before then..." He slipped a hand around to the back of her neck and planted a big kiss on her. "Ryotaro! Someone might see!"

He looked around the room..."There are three people here, and they're facing the other way."

The bell rang and she gave him a warning look as others began to trickle in. Nao and Amou arrived together and went to stand in line. When they emerged with their food, Kahoko waved at them but they giggled and chose an empty table elsewhere. Ryotaro was happy about the development. "Seems like they want to leave us alone." He squeezed her knee. "Ryotaro!" she hissed at him. In response, he began sliding his fingers up her inner thigh. She jerked her legs to the side, out of his reach. He leaned down to her ear "Maybe we can take this somewhere private. Aren't you free during 4th period today?"

"No, I'm not."

"Let's meet after school, then."

"Uh...Yunoki-sempai is giving me a ride home."

"That guy!" Ryotaro scowled..."A ride home?...Hmm, so...so he's one of us three, then." He looked at her for confirmation and she wasn't denying it...Lord, this was getting so complicated.

His head was still working things out. "He can't be having his date this late in the game, which means he's spending extra time with you. Am I right?"

"It's just a ride home..." she replied feebly, knowing that that wasn't strictly true, and that sooner or later he would find out about the daily rides to come.

"...and the other day I saw you arrive with Etou..." All of a sudden it dawned on him. "He's the _3rd _guy! Kahoko, I've been waiting for you, giving you your space and you've been giving special privileges to the other guys!"

"That's not true! It's just walking and riding" she insisted. Lowering her voice she hissed "I haven't met either of _them _in a practice room closet!"

He was still frowning. He accepted her explanation in as far as she seemed to be inferring that she wasn't intimate with the others, but he was still convinced that he was getting short shrift in terms of time spent with her. "I know you don't see it, but it's not fair to me... I want to see you again. I want another date with you, Kahoko. This weekend."

"Uh, okay...that would be nice..." She was trying to mollify him with the promise of a date and she knew that she would enjoy his company, but when was she going to get a day off?

* * *

**Author's Note:** Can't you just feel Azuma's internal struggle? Poor guy can see her getting close to the other guys, and yet he's trying so hard to believe that he has a chance with her.

Ryotaro suddenly discovers who his competition is! (Little does he know that there are 3 _more _guys involved). The competitor in him rears up...

Kahoko is feeling the pressure now. Secrets have a tendency to get found out. Let's hope not all of them...

In case you didn't see the Author's Note I added later in the previous chapter; Kahoko isn't going to go 'all the way' in this story. She's on a path of rapid sexual education, but she's saving her 'first time' for someone special, possibly the guy that she chooses...They'll date for quite a while and only do it when the time feels right...Ah, but that's another story...

**Next Chapter:** Kazuki puts the moves on Kahoko ;)


	20. Chapter 20

_Friday afternoon. _

_Things are threatening to unravel for Kahoko. Azuma and Ryotaro are jealous, and now she's on her way to meet Kazuki at his request, during 4th period..._

* * *

He had asked her to meet him at the back of the music school, near the service entrance. Kahoko pondered the significance of the location and wondered if he wanted to go to the creek again. If so, she would have to talk him out of it. She knew what would happen if they went there again. What she was hoping for was for them to set a tone of friendship with each other, to make things easier on him in case she didn't choose him.

The back of the music building was quiet. There were a couple runners doing stretches on the track and Kazuki was leaning against the fence, watching them…until he saw her. "Hi Kaho-chan!"

He ran to her, kissed her cheek and gave her a big smile. "Do you feel like walking a bit?" He pointed in the direction of the track. She nodded, and they began strolling companionably around the outside of the sports field/track.

"What have you been up to, Kazuki?" she inquired brightly.

"Oh, this and that…My trumpet teacher is preparing me to play some wicked solos for an upcoming performance of Pictures at an Exhibition, that one of the community orchestras is doing. It's a real challenge, but he says he has confidence in me and that it will be a great experience. I'm really excited."

"That's great, Kazuki! I know you'll do a fantastic job with it." Her heart warmed to see him so happy. She had been concerned about him.

Certainly Kazuki was elated about his new opportunity, not the least because it gave him something else to think about besides her. He had been doing fairly well at keeping his emotions reigned in, but the past couple days had been rough. Whenever he wasn't fully preoccupied with something, he began feeling really sad. He was tired of giving himself pep-talks, when what he really wanted was to see her.

She sensed tension entering the silence between them as they neared the building. What would she do if he got emotional? She was emotional enough as it was. She needed him to be strong for her, because she didn't know if she had the backbone to resist him. To her surprise, Kazuki suddenly flashed her a big grin. "I'd like to show you something cool."

He held the service entrance door open for her and led her down the dark corridor to another dark corridor, to a door at the end. She had never been in this part of the school before. He got a set of keys out of his pants pocket and inserted it into the lock. "I was in charge of cleaning this room this morning. We music seniors all take turns."

He flicked on a light switch and Kahoko's eyes widened in amazement. "This is the instrument storage room" he explained. The door locked automatically behind them as they descended two stairs into the cool room that vibrated with fluorescent light. There were long shelves all around the room, containing black instrument cases of every kind. They had words stenciled on them; Seiso viola…tuba…oboe…etc. Instruments of every kind. Some of the cases had notes attached to them; "broken spit valve…needs tail piece…" There were instrument parts laying boxes…bits of brass and assorted metal. There were timpani drums in one corner, covered in black vinyl cases. On a nearby shelf was a bucket full of assorted percussion mallets. In another corner were three double basses in their zipped-up cases.

She looked at him in awe. "It's like instrument heaven in here!"

He smiled. "I think of it as an instrument zoo…They all have their own personalities. Sometimes I even talk to them, tell them to hang on because somebody may play them soon."

Shiny metal drew her to one end of the room where a xylophone and marimba stood. She approached the xylophone and experimentally tapped out a few notes with her fingernails on the silvery bars. 'Chopsticks' was all she knew how to play, and she was halfway through the piece when she felt the aura of his body close behind her. For the sake of keeping things comfortably platonic between them, she hoped that she was wrong about the intimacy that she sensed approaching. She kept tapping out the notes as his arms went around her, his chin coming to rest on her shoulder…Could that be a 'friendly' hug?…but then he was softly kissing her neck. His warm mouth on her sensitive skin was so immediately tantalizing that she momentarily forgot her resolution as she tilted her head and enjoyed the shivering waves rippling across her skin. One of his hands rose to comb her hair back as his mouth traveled up toward her ear.

When she heard her own sigh of appreciation she caught a flash of perspective. Turning in his arms, she prepared to reason with him…as well as with herself. "Kazuki…" but he bent down to interrupt her with a deep kiss that took her breath away. As he steered her backward to a collection of high stools that double bass players use to sit on, he spoke earnestly against her lips. "I've tried to be patient, Kaho-chan. I really did try…" His liquid amber eyes pleaded for understanding as he plucked her off her feet and placed her on one of the black vinyl seats.

She made another attempt "But I haven't decided…" His mouth covered hers again with delicious softness before he explained "I guessed that. That's why…" That's why he was claiming her now, because…well, because he needed to, because he dared to, before someone else took her forever away from him.

Up on the high stool she was at the perfect height for him to comfortably kiss and touch her from every angle. His broad hands sought her bare back, giving her much-needed heat in the cool, damp room. As her head debated whether or not to argue, her body instinctively snuggled closer to him. One of his hands at the back of her head was assisting with a new angle for his next kiss. He was being gentle, but there was an urgency to his touch. It felt to her like a landslide of love about to cover her.

She wasn't all that surprised when his fingers went around to explore her bra, but… "Kazuki, someone could come in!" Without pause he mumbled into her neck "I have the only set of keys." Quickly sussing how elastic her bra was, he brushed the bra cups off with his hands and palmed her. She was shocked by his boldness, but also aroused by it. As he loved the way her soft curves filled his hands, he regarded her face with absolute adoration before claiming her mouth again. His kisses echoed the joy his fingers were having.

One of his hands moved down to slip under her panty waistband and lower to learn her curves and the valley between. She gasped at the shock of his hand being where no male had been before, but soon she was moaning. His loving mouth on hers, his hand on her breast, his fingers in the dip of her derriere; he owned her and her throat told him so in no uncertain terms. She vocalized sweetly and he was in heaven. He was bringing her pleasure, which was what he most wanted. In this moment was proof that he could make her happy. He just wanted to deserve her, even if her decision was out of his hands.

Right now it would be so easy for her to slough off her impending responsibility toward the other boys. She could decide immediately; whisper in this affectionate, handsome boy's ear "Kazuki, you always make me feel good. I choose you." In mere seconds she could erase all of his frustration and give him the joy he wasn't expecting. What a gift that would be, to choose one person from a richly competitive field of six. How she would love to do that for him, and she knew that she could be happy with him for a long time. They had so much in common, and always had fun together. How tempting it would be to do that now, and have that decision be over with...

But she had _many _great young men to choose from, and the only honorable thing to do in her situation was to choose who was _best _for her. If she hadn't been involved in this bizarre circus of an audition process, she could have easily counted herself lucky to have any one of them as her boyfriend. Unfortunately life had dealt her a different hand of cards, and she had to do her best with what was before her. No matter how difficult, she couldn't avoid the big decision. She had to go through the process.

Kazuki sighed and reluctantly put her bra back where it belonged (which too was an erotic exercise). Resting his forehead against hers and his hands on her thighs, he asked the thing he was most afraid to say out loud. "Kaho-chan...do I have a chance with you?"

The silence seemed too long to him as she took his face in her hands and looked to meet his eyes. "Kazuki, of course you do."

It took a few moments for him to loosen the knot in his throat, before he was able to ask "Do you mean it? Azuma is so amazing..."

"Yes, Azuma is amazing, and so are you. You have a great personality. You have most of the qualities that a girl looks for, like a great sense of humor, and you're fun to be with. You're good-looking and athletic. You have this gift for winning people over. Your music is infectious and uplifting. You make people happy by just hanging around you."

He looked overwhelmed. "Wow...you think I'm good-looking?" He was blushing.

"Kazuki, you're hot. You're handsome...and you have a great body." Now it was her turn to blush.

He happily nuzzled her lips. "Thank you, Kaho-chan. You're the only one I want to want me." He kissed her as if she were the only girl in the world. Which for him she was.

* * *

Ryotaro studied the sidewalk as he made his way home. He had been absorbed in thought all afternoon, and still hadn't sorted his way out of the mental mess. At lunchtime he had inadvertently unearthed secrets that Kahoko had been keeping. She probably didn't realize the significance of getting a ride with Azuma or walking with Etou, but _he _did. They were guys after all, and they were all competing for her. Without knowing it, she had given two of them an advantage over him. He wasn't about to let that situation stand. He couldn't, with his and her happiness at stake. He had to deal himself back into the game, and look for ways of giving himself the edge.

He considered his competition. Yunoki Azuma. He was just too...smooth and charming. And the amount of influence and financial resources he would have at his disposal. That was an awesome amount of power that he could wield, if he really wanted Kahoko. He could just see her falling under the guy's spell. She would see the the fairytale allure of his lifestyle, but what substance could Yunoki offer her? He was probably used to everything being handed to him on a platter. He was undoubtedly spoiled. He couldn't possibly feel as much commitment as Ryo did; ready to offer her everything he had...And he would have to marry another spoiled brat of his family's choosing. Why the hell was he messing with Kahoko, knowing that the relationship would be doomed? That really made Ryo angry...Pffff...

Etou. He didn't really know the guy, but by all accounts he was surly and rude. What did she see in him? Why would she even give him the time of day? She was just too generous with people, giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. It was a great way to be and he loved her for it, but it made her easy to take advantage of. And why was Etou interested in her? Surely her special beautiful qualities were lost on a guy like that. Was she even safe with him? Maybe he should keep an eye on him.

If someone would have asked him last month who his competition was, he would have said Tsukimori. Kahoko clearly idolized him, and he had a weekly opportunity to see her for a private lesson. No matter. That's not the way things turned out. The guy is a cold fish. Not surprising that he wasn't interested in her, or any girl.

Now Kaji would be a worthy opponent. The guy was so damn good at everything. Good looking, charming, wealthy, well-connected, and with enough of a romantic streak that he followed her here to be in the same school. Actually, it was very surprising that he wasn't one of the three. He had certainly made his admiration known...But Amou was the one who chose the guys, she said. For some reason she didn't invite him, and so maybe he never found out about the 'audition'. Lucky for Ryo.

Hey...Hihara was totally smitten with Kahoko. That poor guy never got invited either? Amou probably thought he was too immature. Nice guy, but he wasn't really ready to date.

Now; how was Ryo going to gain the advantage in the race for Kahoko's heart? Hmm...

* * *

**Author's Note: **Ryotaro is convinced that he is the best choice for Kahoko, which colors his view of the other candidates. As committed as he is to her happiness, I think that Kahoko may need to remind him that it's her choice to make, and that she's not a delicate flower that can't be trusted to know what is best for herself. Do you think that Ryotaro's well-meaning attitude could get in the way of her choosing him?**  
**

Are you surprised at Kazuki's boldness? There's a life lesson in there, that I finally discovered to my surprise; no matter how sweet or polite a guy is, whether you think he's cute or handsome or ugly or funny or serious, no matter how appropriate you think it is or isn't...all guys have lust and romance within them. Under certain conditions, that side of them will come out. Of course this is common sense, although it's amazing how many teenage girls have preconceived categories for guys. Have any of you noticed this too?**  
**

*** **Here's the wicked piccolo trumpet solo that Kazu is learning. Before you paste this in the url box, carefully get rid of the spaces. FanFiction doesn't allow urls to be posted in this format, so this is one way I can get around that. The solo begins at :37 seconds on the video.

ht tp : / / w ww . youtube . co m/watch?v=_Q61ublH0Ac&feature=related

**

* * *

* **When I was 14 yrs old I got into a great training orchestra. I was the youngest player at the time, and although there were some older teenagers, most of the players were in their twenties. You can imagine how much in awe I was. There were 3 high-profile conductors that directed us. I was in that orchestra for 3 years and and we played so many classic, often huge famous works. Pictures at an Exhibition was one of them. What an awesome piece!

*** **Someone once showed me around a university instrument storage room (not for _that _reason! ;) I thought it was so cool seeing all those instruments in one spot, many of them broken and unwanted...in a secret hiding place.

**Next chapter:** Aoi & Kahoko spend an idyllic day at a beachside villa...happy sigh :)


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** So sorry for the delay. My computer died and I had to rescue this chapter in a very round-about way. But here it is, finally. Enjoy :)

* * *

_Saturday morning_

Kaji Aoi knocked on the door at 8:00am. Mrs Hino invited him in and served him some tea in the living room as Kahoko ran around upstairs, getting dressed in a floral t-shirt and shorts, and gathering supplies for the day. Mother and Kaji conversed pleasantly about his family, about school, his interests, about Kahoko. By the time the red-haired girl entered the room, Mother and potential-boyfriend were well-acquainted and maybe even a little delighted with each other.

Kahoko almost didn't recognize him, sitting on her sofa looking very comfortable in an immaculate white shirt and plaid shorts. Kaji-kun was a very handsome young man, she noticed anew. He suddenly looked older, somehow. When she entered the room he greeted her with a blindingly white smile that made her weak in the knees. Oh no, why was she seeing him with fresh appreciation now? How was she going to keep from being nervous all day? Mom was obviously charmed by him and he seemed completely at ease with her. They had been talking like old friends...Friend…yes. He was her friend, always there for her when she needed to talk. She would dwell on _that_ Kaji so she wouldn't keep melting into a puddle at the sight of him.

* * *

Kaji opened the door for her and put her duffle bag in the trunk of his pale turquoise sports convertible. Installing himself behind the steering wheel, he took a couple moments to take in how nice she looked, gave her hand a little squeeze, put on his sunglasses and started the car. It was a gorgeous warm sunny day already and it would be hot by late morning. "There's lots to do at the villa and you can let me know what you feel like. I think that some exercise would do you a world of good, to help clear your mind. We could start with a swim, go for a boat ride, take a picnic lunch. I'm cooking dinner for you, which we'll have on the beach, we'll watch the sun go down and I'll bring you home. Just let me know if there's anything else you want to do. I am at your service" he said with a grin.

"Thanks, Kaji-kun. It all sounds great." She was more than happy to go along with his plans. She was too tired to make decisions. But she was already feeling excited about the day. It was so nice to be getting away from it all and she knew that she could completely relax with him.

She snuck a peek at him as he drove. He seemed so cheerful and upbeat. Lately she had only seen the side of him that was solicitous and concerned for her. _This _guy was a charismatic, confident young man, totally in his element as gracious host.

They were on the highway until the city began thinning out. Turning toward the water onto a smaller road and then a dirt road, they drove for a couple minutes through dense trees before reaching a clearing where there was room to park, and the back of a large wooden luxury home could be seen. Sparkling water was shimmering through the trees. Aoi and Kahoko got out and stood admiring the view of the bay. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his side. "It's going to be a great day" he said, kissing her temple. He went to the car trunk and began pulling stuff out to take in the house.

Inside, he gave her a tour of the main floor of the villa. There were three wings on the ground floor, the largest of which had an upstairs as well. The 'great room' had a massive stone fireplace, floor-to-ceiling windows, long wooden beams, wooden floors, Indian and Persian rugs, sectional sofas. Being open concept, the main space also adjoined an impressively large kitchen with stone counters and island, brushed steel appliances. The principal attraction, though, was the glorious view of the bay. It was all about being in nature and escaping the city, but having all of the comforts of home.

Kaji had put a bunch of stuff in the fridge and seemed satisfied with his preparations. "Shall we go swimming?" he suggested.

She was standing by the huge windows, gazing out at the beautiful day. She nodded vigorously, eager to get into the twinkling water.

* * *

He pointed her to the downstairs bathroom and she quickly changed into her swimsuit. It was a lovely one-piece mauve creation with elegant lines and ruffles across the hips. It looked so seductive when she first tried it on in the store a few weeks ago, that she couldn't believe her reflection in the mirror. She blushed at how it accented her curves and made her look womanly…and alluring. She wasn't going to buy it, but her sister insisted that it was 'the one' and got it for her. Kaho ended up falling in love with it because of the color and the ruffles, although she had misgivings about living up to its promises. Now though, after having kissed several boys and gone on dates maybe she could grow into it. Carrying her sunglasses and hat, she descended the deck stairs and walked out into the sunshine.

Standing between her and her view of the scintillating water was Kaji in a pair of light blue swim trunks. His sandy blonde hair stirred in the breeze and his physique exuded the kind of easy chiselled perfection that results from excelling in sports. Why he was allowed to be out in public like that, looking so hot, she didn't know. He was indecently sexy. Her nervous system was charged in anticipation of what might happen between them. His kisses and his touch had electrified her the most out of all of the guys, and now she would be alone with him for the rest of the day. She took a deep breath and went to him.

Hearing her approach, he turned and his jaw dropped at the sight of her. Could she be any more enticingly feminine? A woman like that brings out the male in a guy. He gave a long whistle. "You look... _really _pretty, Hino-san." Touching her was going to be foremost on his mind for the next several hours.

"Thank you." She wondered if she would produce additional normal-sounding words in the presence of his disarming smile. "It's a beautiful day" she offered.

"It is... and you're the most beautiful thing in it." His eyes were warmly appreciative.

"Uhh...Thank you, Kaji-kun." Sheesh, what a romantic. At this rate she would be a mass of quivering jelly by noon. "Is this where we swim?" she inquired, inclining her head toward the waterline nearest to them.

"Yes. So you see the raft over there? We can start by swimming out to it and catching some sun, or putz around the shallows and collect shells…Have you applied sunscreen?"

"Oh no, I forgot mine inside…"

"No worries. I have some waterproof stuff here, 40spf. Let's help each other out."

The thought of touching his bare skin, or him touching her was making her lightheaded. But he was already walking toward her with bottle in hand and she couldn't think of what to say without sounding prudish. Having lived so long in America, Kaji Aoi didn't embarrass as easily as a Japanese person, and he would think nothing of having his hands on her. So why should she be embarrassed? 'Here we go' she thought as she braced herself for impact.

He was already behind her, brushing her hair forward off her shoulder blades. Squirting some cream onto one palm, he warmed it before applying it to her skin. With gentle strokes he smoothed the product languidly across her shoulders and back, his touch reminding her of what he did to her in that practice room. Hands on her shoulders…middle back…lower back…Her face was heating up. Coming around to the front of her, he noticed her embarrassment and smiled encouragingly while gently dabbing little dots of liquid across her face. He worked the moisture into her skin and deposited a kiss on her nose.

Still smiling, he spread the cream on her neck, across her shoulders, her arms, and every bit of skin that wasn't covered up. She couldn't believe that she was allowing him to do this! But she was like a helpless child trusting her wise guardian. She felt out-of-body as he gently applied cream to her arms, hands, thighs! knees, shins, and tops of her feet. Her body was humming with flustered pleasure.

"All done" he pronounced innocently, as if he hadn't just made love to her. He proffered the bottle. "Will you do me? If you could get my back, that would be great. I'll get the rest."

She was perversely disappointed to not be doing his chest, but it was possible that touching him at all would be her undoing. She had several hours to get through without losing her cool. Still shivering from his touch, she accepted the bottle and confronted his broad back. She applied the sunscreen over his shoulder blades, running down his back and to the waistband of his swim trunks. It was no hardship for her to keep working at it until the cream was all absorbed.

When she handed him the bottle his eyes were twinkling. She watched breathlessly as he applied sunscreen to the rest of his body. Watching him stroke himself was almost more arousing than touching him. Gulp! She could feel herself leaning closer to him but she willed her feet to stay put. She needed a distraction. Whirling around, she kicked off her sandals and minced over to the water's edge.

He admired the view of her pert little figure as she went to dip a toe in the water. "Eeep! It's freezing!" She repeatedly instructed her toes to get used to the temperature, but finally spurned the idea. Not in a million years could she imagine getting in frigid water like that. She turned back and declared "You go ahead and swim without me, Kaji-kun. I'll be happy to just lay back and soak up some sun" as she made her way back toward the chair. Kaji removed his hands from his hips and stepped over to intercept her. Trapped in the charisma of his smile, she stood motionless as in slow motion he lifted her hands and placed them on his shoulders. Suddenly he hoisted her up against him, adjusting her legs around his waist. "Kaji-kun!" He turned to walk toward the water with her. Realizing what his destination was, she protested. "No! It's too cold!" She wriggled in his grasp, dreading the outcome of his intention.

He decided days ago that what would benefit her most was a healthy dose of fresh air and exercise, and he was going to make sure that she got it. He held her firmly against him, grinning. "It'll be fine. You'll get used to it quickly. We'll do it together." He plowed further and further into the water. The first part of her to feel the water was her feet. She yelped and panted, wiggled and clung more tightly to his warm body as the cold hit her. He was greatly amused by her struggles. When he reached the depth at which the water just barely lapped at his hands on her bum, he stopped. "Get ready" he said in a playful tone of voice. "This part is the worst." He bent his knees slightly, lowered a bit of her derriere into the water. "Aiiiiiiiiiiii!" she complained and tried to climb higher in his embrace. He chuckled at her predicament. "You're so cute. Here we go again." He walked forward a couple steps and when she began vocalizing he dipped her down to her waist. Kahoko held onto him for dear life while whimpering pitifully as he advanced into deeper water.

The contrast between her relatively normal upper body temperature and the chilled feel of her submerged lower half made her acutely aware of how she was positioned against him. Their hips were intimately fused together underwater. She looked up at him and his eyes reflected her thoughts. He slowed and stared at her mouth. Time stood still as she wondered what would happen next. Suddenly he grinned "Hold your breath!" and plunged the two of them into the bracing water.

She came up spluttering and majorly ticked off. Impatiently wiping the water from her eyes, she forgot all about the cold as she advanced toward him. She had never before seen this teasing side of Kaji-kun, but she was up to the challenge. She didn't grow up with an older brother for nothing. "You're going to regret that!" With a move she learned in childhood, she planted one foot behind one of his and shoved him backward. He fell into the water with a look of delighted shock on his face, which was quickly replaced by one of mock revenge.

"Come here, you…" he said threateningly, regaining his feet.

"No!" she shrieked, diving toward deeper water. She got a few yards from him when she heard churning water close behind and felt a strong hand grab her ankle. She turned to pry open his fingers and found herself face-to-face with _that look_. He stood and quickly secured her with his hands around her waist. "You're not going anywhere" he said in a low devilish voice. This was true; with the difference in their heights she would be underwater if he wasn't holding her. She didn't want to escape, anyway. Glistening bare-chested Kaji was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. She wrapped her legs around him once again and they stared at each other with anticipation. His eyes were locked on her mouth as he lowered his head to taste her. She met him with parted lips, eager to experience the amazing chemistry from her memory.

With one arm supporting her buoyed weight, his other hand roamed softly as he made love to her mouth. Every move he made, from the way he caressed her neck, to the gentle suction of his lips, to the fingers on her back...made her want him more. What was it about him that excited her so much? What was this special physical connection they had?

He lifted his head and they regarded each other with eyes narrowed in desire. Shallow breaths could be heard mingling with the gentle lapping of water against the shore. How easy it would be for things to get out of hand. With some effort, he chose the high road and suggested in a low voice "Shall we go for a boat ride?"

She nodded, just as conscious as he that they needed a distraction to diffuse the heat between them. She leaned her head against his chest as he carried her shoreward and lightly let her down onto her feet. Kahoko waited as Kaji went to get life vests from the house. He returned with a picnic basket as well. Helping her put her life vest on and settling the basket in the kayak, he asked "Have you paddled before?"

"No..."

He approached her from behind and put his arms around her to demonstrate where to place her hands on the paddle. "Use your water hand to pull backward, and your air hand to push down and back...Water hand back, Air hand down." He went through several strokes with her until he was satisfied that she had the hang of it. Finishing the lesson with a kiss on her neck, he pushed the kayak into shallow water and held it still as she got in and seated. Handing her the paddle, he pulled the craft into deeper water before himself getting in. "See that clump of trees over there?" He pointed into the distance. "That's an island. We're heading there..." Grabbing his own paddle he declared "Okay, let's go."

Dipping their paddles in the shimmering water, they headed toward the little island. It took Kahoko a while to get used to the motions, but when she got it she began to enjoy the repetitive, almost meditative strokes. Swish...trickle...swish...trickle. She began feeling like a more carefree version of herself, like when she was a little girl with dreams and imaginings and little games to make up...Swish...trickle...They were now halfway between shore and the island. It was so peaceful out in deep water. "Let's stop here for a minute" he said softly. She looked over her shoulder at him and he held out his hand. "Give me your paddle." He secured her paddle alongside his at the side of the craft.

"Come here..." he beckoned. Guessing that he wanted what she wanted, Kahoko carefully shuffled backward into his arms, which he wrapped around her before kissing her cheek. "It's magical out here, isn't it?" he whispered, and she nodded solemnly. They remained thus for several minutes, absorbing the quiet, letting the sun soak into their bones, allowing peace to have its soft way with them.

* * *

**Author's Note:** It ain't over yet. More Kaji goodness in the next chapter

I'm so happy that Kahoko is able to get away. She needs a break!

Are you a good swimmer? I'm pretty hopeless. I'm good at treading water and that's about it. And I'd be like Kahoko, being chicken about the cold water!

Have any of you gone kayaking before? My Dad used to take me and my brother when we were young. So much fun. It's so different being on the water.

I wish I had access to a great summer home like this...sigh... :)


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note:** Whew! I'm so glad I finally was able to pull together a chapter for you. Every day I would work at it some more and it just wasn't right. Tweak...tweak...tweak...hoping for the right inspiration. At last here it is. It's a bit short so that I could get it to you sooner. I leave you dangling at the end, but the good news is that the next chapter will be ready to go on Wednesday...

* * *

Kaji steered the boat to the far side of the diminutive island where there was an easy place to pull up on shore. Once on dry land he led the way to higher elevation where there was a rocky promontory with a great view. With a flourish, he laid down a blanket and unpacked the basket of goodies. He had prepared gourmet sandwiches, an assortment of veggies and fruit, iced tea and cookies. "Cooking is a hobby of mine" he explained. "My parents often leave me at home alone, so I've learned to fend for myself...and to even make an art of it. I'm quite domestic!"

Seating themselves comfortably with food in hand, they gazed out across the water.

"I love this place. I come here several times a year. The parents are good friends of my parents, and the two boys are around my age. We always have a great time together. We're like family to each other." Kahoko asked him about his childhood and his life before Seiso. She was surprised by how much traveling he had done. He had spent time in North and South America, and many countries in Europe. No wonder he seemed worldly and confident.

"I haven't gone anywhere" she pouted. There was a whole world out there that she hadn't even begun to explore.

He covered her hand with his. "I'm sure you will. I'll take you wherever you wish, and there are many amazing places I have seen, that I would love to share with you."

She looked at his sincere expression and warm eyes. It felt like a promise that he was making. Be my girlfriend and I will make your dreams come true. How very romantic Kaji Aoi of him.

Soon they had finished all of the food and were ready to move on to something else. "Hino-san, I have something to do right now. Do you mind packing up the picnic basket? I'll be back in a couple minutes."

"Sure!" As she picked up the fruit container she wondered what he could possibly have to do on this remote little island...Oh! He probably had to pee!...blush...blush...All right, Kaho, you can stop thinking about that...

Aoi pushed branches aside, treading a familiar happy path. About 50 yards from their picnic site was another scenic promontory. Trees gave way to a flat expanse of horizontal bedrock. It was like a scenic deck that Nature had laid out for a select few humans to enjoy. Laying next to a fire pit was a large log that he and his friends had sat upon many a time while roasting marshmallows, telling tall tales, sharing dreams and gazing into the starry night. And recently this was the site where Aoi had taken a lot of teasing from his buddies, not that it phased him. He knew his own heart and would not be deterred. Pulling the swiss army knife from his pocket he knelt in the dirt and retraced the lines that he had begun some months ago. Every time he came, he carved deeper into the log, each stroke symbolizing his growing commitment and determination, as well as the enduring nature of his feelings. With a quick couple passes of the knife in each groove, he stood to admire the handiwork of several visits. Inside an engraved heart were the initials HK + KA.

Nah, he didn't mind being teased. She was well worth it, and today with her on his island it seemed that the granting of his wish was closer than ever before. Someday he would bring her here and show her, and with arms around each other they would marvel at how wonderful life could be when wishes come true.

Back in the kayak, they took their time returning to shore. Their full tummies made them paddle at a leisurely pace, and not much needed to be said. Instead they enjoyed the natural sounds around them.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon as they tied up the kayak back on the mainland and walked to the villa. "Hino-san, I'll be doing things here in the kitchen for a bit. You can take a shower and get changed if you like. I'll use the downstairs bathroom to take my shower when you're done, and after a while we'll have dinner."

"Okay. Where do I go?" She grabbed her bags and followed him upstairs where he pointed out the shower as well as a bedroom she could use to change in. He disappeared downstairs and she unpacked her shampoo and other toiletries. The shower was heavenly. It was warm compared to the water she'd just been in, and it was clean. She had to shampoo her hair twice to get rid of the sand.

She was lost in contemplation as she stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her body and another one around her hair. After twisting the hair towel to squeeze out excess water, she removed the towel and grabbed the blow dryer. Going through the familiar motions of using the dryer and her fingers, she pondered her new perspective of Kaji-kun. When she first met him she found him overly enthusiastic in his quest to get close to her. Eventually she relaxed, he relaxed, and they settled into friendship. She was aware that he had switched schools to get to know her, but over time that fact had receded from her attention. Although she until recently hadn't spent as much time with him as she did with Ryotaro, Kaji was always there for her when the need arose. Why he was so quick to help, she didn't know. Maybe he had a natural boy-scout personality. It was interesting how these past couple weeks he became the person that she felt most comfortable talking to. Was that significant?

Her hair was dry enough. As she grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste she heard a noise in the hall. After a few seconds of listening carefully, she decided she had imagined it and began brushing her teeth. She'd better hurry up and sprint through the hallway to the bedroom to get dressed before he came up and saw her in a towel. She had just spat out and was rinsing the toothbrush when she heard the hall floorboards creaking. Fingers tapped lightly on the door and she heard his voice.

"Hino-san?"

"Y-yes?"

"May I come in?" She thought she heard a smile in his voice.

"NO!"

"Then will you come out for a second?"

No, she wasn't going to go out clothed in a mere towel. But maybe it was important. "Why?"

"I need your help."

Gad. She was getting impatient with the awkwardness of the conversation. She opened the door a little and peeked out. There was Kaji, wearing nothing but a towel around his hips, scrubbing his hair with a smaller towel. She was stunned by the sight of him. His upraised muscular arms and chest were displayed to perfection. Then she realized how long she'd been gaping at him. His face looked similar to hers, with eyes drinking in the partial vision of her, looking so resplendent in contrast to the flat surface of the pale door that hid two thirds of her.

He proffered his hair towel to her as he slowly stepped forward. "Will you hang this up for me?"

"What?" You want _me _to hang up your towel?..Uh, in here?..."

He was still moving toward her and his eyes were focused past her to the towel rack on the bathroom wall. "Right here…and also..." He seemed so intent on his mission that she didn't notice how close he was…until the towel was on the rack, his foot was in the door and he was looking down at her with a boyish grin. She had actually let him in! How did that happen?

Kaji's expression was sensually predatory as he looked her over and moved ever so slowly to close the minuscule gap behind them. Kahoko was so mesmerized by him that the only self-preservation she could muster was to back away as he advanced. She asked in a small voice "What are you doing, Kaji-kun?"

In one deft move he scooped her up into his arms. "Kaji-kuuuun!" she choked out as she clung to his neck. Grinning, he carried her out of the bathroom and down the hall.

He strode into the master bedroom suite with her, around the end of the bed and out onto the adjoining balcony, at the one end of which was a two-person hammock. Sitting down in the middle of it, he carefully lowered himself and his cargo so that they were lying side by side. He extended an arm so she could lay her head on his shoulder. "We've got a couple hours before dinner. Let's have a nap." She was very surprised that the past several moments of sensual anticipation should result in an innocent cuddle, but she was more than willing to relax in his embrace. She wriggled around to find a modest but reasonably comfortable position, on her side facing him as he lay on his back. He studied her posture. "Come closer" he instructed. After she shuffled nearer he was still unsatisfied and reached for the back of her knee to hook it over his leg. Taking her hand, he kissed it and laid it on his chest before covering it with his own. She smiled at him before succumbing to the heaviness of her body. With the heat of the day and the recent exertion of most of her muscles, she was asleep within seconds.

Aoi listened as her breath slowed and deepened. Good. He had gotten her to exercise, get some sunshine and fresh air, and now some rest. Soon he would make sure that she ate well again. If nothing else, at least he would have taken care of her this one day. If he had his wish, it was one of a lifetime of blissful days to come.

* * *

She dreamed of sparkling water, warm sand, sunshine, and the blond boy that shared her happiness. He was touching her softly, caressing her face...her neck...her shoulder...arm...The sensations continued on and on, and some part of her mind eventually wondered why the dream was stuck in this particular activity. After some time it occurred to her that it was real and her eyelids floated open...

Focusing on her arm that was splayed across his chest, she saw his hand gently stroking her. She looked up at him and was met with soft green eyes. "How long was I out?"

"Mmm, about an hour." He raised her hand to kiss it. "Are you ready to eat soon?"

"Yes, definitely."

"Sooo...I wonder if I can interest you in playing with these towels first?"

"P-playing?...with the...What do you mean?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hmm. What do you supposed that Aoi means about playing with the towels?

Aoi is so dreamy. What a great catch. He's capable, multi-talented, romantic, charming...what else?

I've been to spend summer days in lake country a few times in my life. My memories are the inspiration for the Kaji date. It's so wonderful to be on the water, to experience such powerful silence, to enjoy nature. It just puts you back together, gives you perspective. We weren't in a villa, but staying in a little rustic cottage is part of the charm.

I would love it if someone promised to take me traveling around the world. I'd be like "All right! I choose you. Let's go."

Did anyone carve your initials with theirs? Not me. So romantic though. Just think how long it would last. I thought that such carving might be detrimental to a live tree so that's why I had Aoi do it on a fallen log instead.

This story is inspiring me to find my picnic basket and arrange a meal at the beach. Project!

I would love it if that hammock scene happened to me...although who knows what Aoi has planned with those towels!

**Next Chapter: **Towels get played with...and Kaho reveals a secret to Aoi ! How will he react? And because she hasn't checked messages all day, she doesn't realize that Ryotaro has been calling her. I wonder what _he's_ thinking when she doesn't return his calls...**  
**


	23. Chapter 23

_"Sooo...I don't suppose you'd be interested in playing with these towels first?"_

_"P-playing?...What do you mean?"_

* * *

His voice was subtly flirtatious as his fingers alighted on her skin. "I'm glad you asked. Well for instance, I just take the corner of your towel...like this...and I pull..."

"Kaji-kun!" She grabbed what she could of the towel to prevent him from undressing her.

He grinned remorselessly. "Maybe first _you_ would prefer to have a go?" He gestured toward the towel covering his lower half.

She was vigorously shaking her head. From what she had experienced of the chemistry between them, this was a dangerous game. She might lose all control of herself if she saw him any more naked than he already was!

He looked so cute, the way his eyes sparkled teasingly. "I would hate for you to miss out on the fun. Maybe you need a demonstration. I'll show you with my own towel. Watch..." He tugged out one end of his towel that was tucked in at the hip, and was slowly peeling it across the front of him.

"No!" she yelped.

Aoi pretended to be surprised by her reaction. "Be patient now. It gets better..."

As she caught a glimpse of newly-revealed naked male thigh she panicked and grabbed a fistful of his towel to stall its progress. Her embarrassment worsened when she noticed where her hand ended up, pressing a portion of towel against his groin. "Eee!" she shrieked as she removed her hand, and the hammock swung alarmingly.

With a lover's groan he rolled over to half-cover her, leaving most of his towel behind. "I've got nothing to hide from you..." he whispered into her neck. He began to raise his torso, revealing more and more of his abdomen and..."No!" Her instinctive reaction was to quickly pull him down to her, to prevent the disclosure of his masculine package. With his face now so close to hers she noticed little grey flecks of color in his green eyes as he made his descent to her face. She closed her eyes and waited all of 3 thrilling seconds for his lips to join with hers. In her passionate appreciation of having face-time with this Adonis, her hand traveled the same route as it had this morning...across his shoulder blades, feeling the muscles on either side of his spine, and down to his waist. When she didn't encounter a towel she realized that the man on top of her was completely naked against her. The thought so excited her that her hand indulged in curiosity and meandered down to the end of his spine and up over one cheek.

He was more than pleased when she touched his upper back. The lower her hand got, though, the more surprised he was. Make no mistake; he was enjoying every bit of it, but maybe too much. What he intended to be a game was suddenly threatening to escape his control. He had thought that he would just tease her a little; he didn't expect that things would go this far, and she wasn't helping things by being so...cooperative. Her boldness excited him. So now he was going to have to exert iron discipline on himself. Hopefully he would be fine for a while longer. Maybe if he stepped further 'over the line' he would shock her into ending things for him.

His fingers found the tucked-in portion of her towel and slid under it near her breast. "Your turn now, Hino-san." He began minutely tugging at the corner...

She wondered how far she would go. She was so turned-on by him that she was feeling a strong drive to go all the way. It wasn't just their special physical chemistry, either. There was a core of trust, gratitude and deep affection that powered her. There was a part of her that wanted her first time to be with him. She hadn't yet chosen between the boys, but she knew that Kaji-kun would make sure her first time was wonderful. The voice in her head saying that she should save this for her steady boyfriend or husband was very distant. Right now there was only amazing Kaji in her universe.

His fingers slowly unraveled her terry-cloth covering. In between kisses along her collarbone he looked to see how she felt about his trespass. When she didn't object, he made a decision. If she didn't stop him soon, he would. He wanted her to be his girlfriend before they got completely naked together.

Moving his hands away from the towel to cradle her face, he looked into her golden eyes and spoke from the heart. "I am so in love with you, Hino-san."

"Ooh...?" Oh wow...Certainly she guessed that he cared about her as a friend, and that he found her attractive enough to kiss...but she never could have guessed that he felt this strongly about her. He really was in love with her?...

"From the moment I first saw you and heard your beautiful music that day in the park, I've been completely captivated by you. And each time I'm with you I fall in love a little more. You mean everything to me." He hoped that this kiss would show her how deeply he felt about her. With love in his eyes, he applied himself to her lips...

Kahoko couldn't believe what she was hearing. This man that she had grown so very fond of, who had proven himself to be a true friend, who made her heart flutter with excitement...said that he was in love with her. His beautiful eyes melted her as his mouth caressed her. She was so very lost in his love right now. She wanted it never to end...

He would honor her trust by adoring her body a little bit more. Carefully drawing one edge of towel across to keep her peak covered, he exposed the side of her breast. Cupping the towel in place, he kissed and tongued the curve of her, getting oh so close to the focus of her desire. He treated her other breast to the same attention, and then following a swath of exposed skin down the middle of her, he began kissing his way south, making sure to keep her most private area covered. As he slowly made his way toward her navel, the sighs and breathy moans coming from her sweet throat made him want to change his mind at the last minute. How he would love to keep going. His hand could move that last bit of towel and with his tongue he could make her sing...But after circling her navel he returned along the same path upward, up toward her darling face, until his lips rested on hers. "You are so beautiful." He cupped her jaw and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I want you so much. It's very hard to stop." He sighed deeply. "With all my heart I hope that someday we will continue this." He kissed her again before laying his head on her chest.

After a few seconds of disappointment she suddenly smiled and sighed happily with relief as she played with his hair. Once again he had done the right thing for her. In his wisdom he had stopped even when he didn't have the will or sense to...and he had done it in such a way as to not embarrass her.

"Thank you, Kaji-kun."

He lifted his head to gaze at her. "For what?"

"For everything. For proving how much I can trust you, for having my best interests at heart, for being the best kind of friend. I am so lucky to have you in my life."

He paused, absorbing her words and stroking her hand "I will always make your happiness my priority...if you let me."

She let herself drown in his eyes for a while before he sighed and kissed her on the nose. "I'm going to go get dinner ready. We'll be eating out on the deck. See you in about 15 minutes?"

She nodded eagerly.

He carefully tightened the towel around his hips to the accompaniment of the hammock swinging, alighted on the floor and left the room. She missed him already.

* * *

Having changed into a white cotton dress, she padded downstairs and followed the glow from outside. Kaji had set up a table and chairs on the expansive deck. There was a tablecloth and fine china and crystal, but the real magic came from several votive candles that were placed along the deck railing. He pulled out a chair for her and himself sat next to her so they could both enjoy the view of the sun setting over the water.

After an elegant dinner of green salad, fettucine alfredo and tiramisu, they were ready for a walk along the beach. Holding hands, they enjoyed the remnants of what had been a beautiful day. The sand shushed under their feet until they got to the hard planks of the dock and went to the end of it to sit down with legs dangling over the water.

"Did you enjoy yourself today?"

"Oh yes! Thank you so much. I feel like a new person."

She squeezed his hand gently, considering her next words. "Kaji-kun, I appreciate how easy it is to talk to you, that you take things in stride and that you don't make judgements. May I share something that has been weighing heavily on me?"

He nuzzled a kiss into her hair. "Of course, please feel free."

"I hope it's OK to tell you..." She let out a big sigh. It would be so good to get this off her chest, and Kaji-kun was the only person that she could tell...

"There are _more _than three boys that I'm choosing from." She looked up, half-nervous about what his reaction would be.

"Oh?..." He had made up his mind ahead of time to hide any reaction that might show on his face, but her disclosure felt somewhat ominous. Carefully he echoed "More than three of us?..."

Quietly she revealed "Yes...Six."

His eyebrows shot up and she winced. She had managed to shake him after all. But he quickly disciplined himself. "You're choosing from six of us?" he confirmed in the mildest tone of voice that he could manage. He stroked her hand to keep himself in the right space.

"Yes... Are you shocked? Maybe I shouldn't have told you..."

"No, no. I want you to always feel free to tell me anything. I always want to be here for you, Hino-san. If telling me something helps to make you feel even a little better, than that's what I want you to do." There was a spinning propeller somewhere in his head that was churning out the implications of her long-kept secret, but first he needed to support her. "This must have been hard for you."

She sighed with relief. "Yes. Amou-san told me to keep it a secret because she thought that if anyone knew how many guys I was seeing, it might seem as if I'm...as if I'm..." She couldn't say it. Easy? Promiscuous? She let her embarrassed face convey her meaning.

He patted her hand. "I understand. And you've been carefully keeping this secret from all of us. That would be a challenging feat."

"Yes, it has been very difficult. I've been so busy going on dates and trying to be mindful of everyone's feelings and..." She sighed heavily. "It has been hard...Is it all right that I told you?" He was very quiet and introspective and now she was worried that she had lost him.

Seeing her concerned face, he pushed his own issues back as he wrapped his arms around her. "Yes of course it's all right. Everything you do is more than all right, Hino-san." He stroked her hair as he felt an uncomfortable realization falling into place. It was one thing to feel fairly confident about one's chances when there were only two other competitors. It was quite another thing to keep one's composure when running with five other suitors. That made it even more likely that all of his stiffest competition was in that group. If Tsuchiura and Tsukimori...and even Yunoki were involved then he would have to bring his "A-game". He would have to give this some more thought. Maybe patiently waiting for her to make up her mind wasn't going to be enough. He would never try to influence her toward him because he wanted her to make the best choice for her. But he did want to make sure that she was going about it in the right way.

"I guess that with 6 of us, your decision is extra-difficult. How are you getting along with that?"

She straightened to make eye contact with him. "I haven't thought about it too much yet. I wanted to wait until my last date, which is my special day with you..." she smiled "so as to be as fair as possible. So tomorrow I will take a deep breath and begin thinking about it. I'm not sure how to do this, but hopefully it will come naturally and the answer will be clear."

He put his hands on her shoulders. "Remember that your happiness is the most important factor in your decision. Nobody, especially me, would want you with them for any other reason than that you are happy with them. You're not doing anyone any favors if you're not truly making the right decision for you."

She kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much...Yes...that really helps. It seems like there are so many things to consider and it's overwhelming...but if I think of it as you suggest, then maybe it will be easier."

He smiled. "If you have trouble deciding, you can always come to me and I'll tell you who to pick."

"You wouldn't do that." She smiled back.

"No, I wouldn't...Well, it's getting late. We should make our farewell to this place and get you home." He helped her up and arm in arm they slowly retraced their footsteps along the sand. Once they had cleaned up the food and dishes they went out onto the deck one last time to admire the moon's reflection on the water, and the twinkling stars above.

"I'll miss this place" she said wistfully.

That pleased him. "I'll bring you back anytime you want. I'm sure that our friends would love to meet you."

After a lingering hug and kiss, they turned their backs to the water and went inside to pack. Was this day destined to become a fading memory or the beginning of something?

**

* * *

Author's Note:** Do you think that she should have told him about how many boys there are? I think that on the one hand she was being selfish to burden him with that knowledge, but on the other hand she has so much to deal with, that I don't blame her. Who knows; maybe the information will be useful to him.

So, the towel game was finally 'revealed'. I like Aoi's teasing, sexy side. Being a nice guy doesn't have to mean boring.

Life is imitating art for me right now. I had a picnic lunch on Saturday (picnic lunch in the previous chapter) and I've recently found out that I'll be spending a weekend soon at our friends' cottage on an island with a lake. Hmm, maybe I should write about someone winning the lottery!

Now that you've witnessed all the boys' dates, at this point do you have a favorite for her?

**Next Chapter:** Ryotaro goes to her house...makes conversation with her Mom...spends the day with Kahoko doing errands and other stuff.

**FYI: **This coming week (for Kahoko) is supposed to be her time to quietly deliberate about the boys so she can make her choice by the following weekend. Ideally the guys would leave her alone to do her thinking, but guess what; they don't. She has decided not to accept any more dates...but the guys find ways to keep themselves in the forefront of her attention. And of course there are various jealousies that need to be dealt with. Should be an interesting week!


	24. Chapter 24

Whew! This is a long one. Enjoy...

_

* * *

Sunday morning..._

The morning sun caressed her face as she stretched under the sheets. "Uhrngh..." she growled contentedly. Even in her half-awake condition she was already feeling good. What a wonderful getaway yesterday was. Never underestimate the power of a vacation...or of time spent in nature...or the caring attentions of a good friend.

Rolling over to reach the nightstand, she felt around for her cell phone. Another yawn as she checked her voice messages. There were three messages from Ryotaro!...The ghost of a relevent memory filtered through to her conscious mind...Uh oh. He had wanted to go on a date this weekend! How could she have forgotten? Maybe because she couldn't remember them actually deciding on a day. And she hadn't told him that she wasn't available yesterday. Sigh...She hated that feeling that she'd screwed up somehow. But he hadn't been specific either...

His first message was from first thing yesterday morning. "Good morning, Kahoko. Give me a call when you get this. Hopefully we can do something together today."

The next one was two hours later. "Hey, it's me again. I guess you're not checking your voice mail for some reason. I'll try sending a text. Bye."

The text read "Can I CU today? Call me pls. Ryo."

In the last voice message he sounded somewhat depressed and puzzled. "It's Ryo again. I hope you're all right. Please call when you get this. It doesn't matter how late...sigh...OK, bye."

Gaad...she felt awful. Better clear this up asap. She began punching numbers...

He answered immediately. "Hello?"

"Ryo, I'm SO sorry! I was away all day from early in the morning until late at night, and I didn't check my phone until this minute. I feel so bad. God only knows what you thought had happened to me..."

He sighed with relief. It wasn't like he actually thought she was in a car accident or something, but it was upsetting just not knowing why she hadn't returned his call. It wasn't like her to be inconsiderate, so he didn't know what to think. But it was fine now. He gratefully accepted her apology. Except...was she out with a guy? That wouldn't be good...Now wasn't the time to ask, though. "No worries, Kahoko. I'm just glad that you're OK."

"I am, thank you. Thanks for being understanding."

"So, do you have time to see me today or tonight?"

"Yes, sure. I think my Mom needs me to run some errands for her today, but tonight should be fine."

"Uhhm...May I help you with your errands? I can have the car today...I mean, would I be in the way?"

"Well no, but it's really boring stuff. Wouldn't you rather wait until I'm done and we can do something nice together?"

Silence. Then "If you don't mind, I really want to see you. I don't care what we do...I guess I'm eager because I missed you yesterday.."

"Oh. Poor Ryo" she smiled. "I'm sorry. Of course I would enjoy your company. It will make the errands much more tolerable for me. Let me get out of bed and talk to my Mom and I'll call you right back. Within 10 minutes, all right?"

"Uh..."

"What?"

His voice was low. "Uh...I'm just enjoying the image of you in bed...What are you wearing?"

"Ryo! I'm wearing pajamas."

"...What do they look like?"

"OK, I'm hanging up now. Talk to you in a few minutes."

"Fine" he grumbled.

* * *

A little over an hour later she opened the front door to him and led him to the kitchen. "Mom, this is Tsuchiura Ryotaro."

"Very nice to meet you. Kahoko has spoken very highly of you. Thank you for being such a good friend to her. It's too bad we're only meeting just now for the first time."

"Thank you, . It's nice to meet you, and it is entirely my pleasure to be of assistance to your beautiful daughter."

"Ryo..." Kahoko was blushing. Did he have to be so effusive in front of her mother?"

He was unapologetic as he regarded her warmly. "Well, you are beautiful." All three in the room were aware that Ryo had just revealed the depth and nature of his feelings for her.

Mrs. Hino nodded sagely. "He's right. You are beautiful, Kaho-chan...Tsuchiura-kun, may I offer you a cup of tea?"

"Mother, we don't have time if we're going to get your errands done and then go out later."

Tsuchiura wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by, though. He needed to get in her mother's good graces. "Kahoko, if you don't mind, I could really use a cup of tea right now."

Nothing for her to do but submit gracefully. She watched as Ryo and her mother bonded. He really was very mature, confident, respectful, knowledgeable. He made a good impression wherever he went, and her mother was no exception. Heaven only knew what was in her mother's mind. She had seen several boys come to the house, although Ryo didn't know that. At least her mom was no fool. She very tactfully refrained from making references to the existence of Kaho's other admirers.

The conversation went from school to music to his family, and soon they were all laughing together in reaction to various family anecdotes. 'He fits in well', she thought. If her sister were here she would like him too, she was sure. She might say that he was a bit too mature, but she would like him anyway. Because he was trying to make a good impression, he hadn't yet shown his playful side.

* * *

A little over 40 minutes later they were on their way out. Ryo had brought a car, which made the errands easier. The first stop was to pick up some buns from a particular bakery. "These are a family favorite. My Mom has been getting these for special occasions ever since I can remember. She's going to visit her sister this week in Osaka, so that's why she wants me to pick some up." Inside the bakery they greeted her by name, and when they left the store Ryo insisted on carrying the shopping bag.

"Thank you, Ryo. Now we go pick up some dry cleaning." They walked 3 blocks to the dry cleaners and he couldn't help but feel that it was romantic to be doing errands with her. Being a part of her chores felt intimate to him because he was getting to know her better. He now had access to a part of her life that he hadn't seen before, and likely the other guys hadn't either. It made him feel all warm and fuzzy.

After picking up her sister's clothes at the dry cleaners, the went to a grocer's to get mangoes on sale. Then they drove to another part of town to drop off something at her Mom's office because of her being out of town. The security guard recognized her but wouldn't let Ryo in, and he had to stay out in the lobby. As Kahoko walked down the hall, her phone began ringing. It was Azuma!

"Hello?"

His smooth voice tickled her ear. "Hello Kahoko. What are you up to?"

"Hi Azuma. I'm at my Mom's office."

"Do you have time to have lunch with me today?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I have to run a bunch of errands for Mother because she and my sister will be out of town this week. I have to help her get some things done today because she's leaving tomorrow already."

Ordinarily he wouldn't let that be the end of it, but his mind had already seized upon the opportunity that she herself had just revealed. "All right. I'm happy to hear your voice, at least. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks. A little tired, but good otherwise. How are you?"

"Missing you."

"Oh...that's nice."

"Do you miss me?"

"Yes...of course. Will you be driving me home tomorrow after school?"

"You can count on it."

"Good. I look forward to it...I should go now."

"Fine. Good luck with your errands." She found his voice so soothing and seductive that she almost didn't want to hang up.

"Thank you, Azuma. Have a good evening. See you tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Kahoko."

"Bye!" She immediately switched the setting on her phone to 'vibrate' in case another boy called her while she was with Ryo!

She rushed down the hall to her Mom's office, dropped off the package and rushed back to Ryo. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

"No problem, he replied good-naturedly.

They still had a couple more trips to make. After going to the library and another grocery store, it was time for a late lunch.

"Do you know of a good place around here?" he asked. "It's my treat."

"You don't have to do that, Ryo. I have money. I should be treating you for helping me out today."

"No, no. I insist. So where?..."

"Well, there's Szechuan and...Oh! I know. There's a 50's diner in the next block over. We could get a burger and fries and a milkshake...or..."

"That sounds perfect. Let's go!"

They were hungry enough that they practically sprinted there.

After eating enough that they wouldn't need supper, Ryo asked "Are we finished with your errands?"

"Yes. I'll have to get the stuff home to Mother, but then I'm all yours."

He grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"Huh?"

"You're all mine." He reached over and ruffled her hair to lighten the moment. "How do you feel about seeing a movie?"

"Oh yes! I haven't seen one in ages!"

"What kind of movies do you like?"

"Anything as long as it's not scary...or gory...or depressing..."

"Not too choosy, then."

"Well I don't like feeling bad...I guess I'm kind of sensitive."

"That's fine with me. I like you just the way you are. Let's find a newspaper and see what's playing."

After finding an entertainment paper and dropping groceries off at her home, they sat on her front step for a few moments to consult about which movie to see. He was intent on seeing a romantic comedy to make her happy, but in the end she convinced him that she really preferred the suspense thriller that he was clearly interested in.

"All right, if you're sure. So that's not starting until 7:15 at the Hollywood. What do you want to do until then?"

"Umm...something outside..."

"A walk? Maybe...Asahi park?"

"Sure. That's sounds good. It's between here and downtown, isn't it?"

"Yep. OK, let's do it."

* * *

Soon they were slowly strolling around the small lake in the center of the park. There were ducks congregated at one edge of the water where an elderly gentleman was throwing bread cubes. A couple grumpy geese were trying to get the lion's share of food, and were making an awful racket in the process.

Ryo was ready to ask her about yesterday. "The weather has been great, hasn't it?"

"Yes! I just want to spend as much time outside as possible."

"Were you outside yesterday?"

She wondered if she would be so lucky as to get away without giving details about her date with Kaji-kun. "Yes, almost all day."

"Did you do anything interesting?"

"Yeah, it was great. I was at someone's vacation home along the water. We went swimming and boating, had a picnic lunch. It was the perfect getaway."

"With family...or girlfriends?..."

She made eye contact, preparing to stand her ground. "No."

"Oh." So his instincts were right. He swallowed the unpleasantness that welled up. He needed to hold his tongue. But maybe he couldn't help himself..."It was Yunoki, wasn't it." He shook his head in disapproval. "I don't trust that guy. Kahoko, he can't really care about you. His family will make sure that he marries into an important family, and he knows that. So he's just taking advantage of you."

She was stunned by his intensity. As wrong as he was about Azuma, she had to acknowledge that Ryo's perspective was legitimate, and coming from his concern for her. She kept her tone neutral...

"Yunoki-sempai does care about me. He has been a complete gentleman, so you shouldn't worry."

Oh. What could he say to that? He wasn't satisfied, but she was very clear in her response and he could see that she wasn't about to be swayed on that point.

"It wasn't Etou, was it?"

"No, it wasn't. Look, Ryo; I am making my decision in the fairest way possible. None of you has an advantage over the other, whether they have money or not. When it comes down to it..." she grasped at Kaji-kun's words..."it will be about who I am happiest with, right? It's a feeling, and I haven't come to any conclusions yet. As far as I'm concerned, everyone has an equal chance."

He couldn't resist. "Even Etou?"

She tried to read him. Was he being rude or not? Better give him the benefit of the doubt. "Etou-kun is very nice to me. I know that he can be gruff sometimes and he dresses like a rebel, but he's never been anything but good to me. He's very good company and I enjoy spending time with him...He's actually a great guy and I've learned a lot from him."

Ryo was silent. He still didn't like the situation. She had him on equal footing with a spoiled wealthy guy and a punk brat. And she still hadn't told him who she was out with. She probably wouldn't, either.

Kahoko could see that he was still upset. "Ryotaro, do you trust me?"

"...Of course..."

"I think that people sometimes think of me as being clueless and it's true that I don't have the sharpest wit, but I do have good instincts. I think I'm good at reading people. Mother comments on my ability too...You don't have to like everything that I do, but at least you should trust that I can take care of myself."

He stopped and put his hands on her shoulders. "But I want to take care of you, Kahoko."

She looked up into his warm and slightly-troubled eyes. She knew that he wanted her, but right now there wasn't anything she could do to make him feel better.

He bent his tall frame down to meet her lips. It was a kiss that suddenly put everything right. That had both said their peace and now it was sweet physical contact that brought them together.

"Mommy!" A little voice was heard. "He's kissing her." A woman escorted her son a little more quickly along the path so as not to expose him to more indecent behavior!

Ryo kissed Kaho on the cheek. "More of this later" he promised. He grabbed her hand and as they went back to the car he elaborated. "I do trust you, Kahoko. I'm afraid that maybe you are too accepting of people, but if you are happy with the way things are, then that's good enough for me. All I want is your happiness." He looked a little worried. "Are we OK?"

She squeezed his hand. "Of course. Thanks for trusting me, Ryo."

* * *

The movie was action-packed and suspenseful. Kahoko found it very well done, although she wished it weren't so loud and violent. She was grateful for Ryo's arm around her. When a particularly potent kissing scene began, she cringed with embarrassment. It was difficult to watch such a thing with a virile male, and one that wanted her. She could feel him inclining toward her and when she turned her head he held her chin and kissed her softly. All of a sudden she felt better. But later during the sex scene she wished she could crawl into a hole and hide. Ryo made it all right by squeezing her shoulder affectionately to lessen the tension in the air.

* * *

After the movie he seemed quiet, although she felt his eyes on her. They walked hand in hand, rather slowly to the car with only a couple sentences about the movie. On the drive home little was said also. As she pondered his mood she failed to notice his last-minute detour. He parked the car along a street, in a poorly-lit area where the street lamp was dim.

"This isn't my house, Ryo. Our place is about three streets over."

"I know." he answered quietly. "Is this okay?"

"Is what okay?...oh..." As he leaned toward her she understood. With his hand on the head-rest behind her, he brushed his lips across hers.

His voice was soft near her ear. "May I kiss you?" but he wasn't waiting for her answer. He was sampling her already, pulling tantalizing kisses from disparate areas of her skin; her ear...cheek...collarbone...She was quite breathless from the tingling sensations. He spoke again. "Will you sit on my lap? I won't be able to last long bending over like this."

She had wondered about that. Cars didn't really seem to be built for getting people together. She twisted a bit in her seat, pondering how to get over to his side, but she forgot about how strong he was. "Allow me" he said, picking her up and seating her comfortably with her legs across his. "That's better" he said

One large hand rested on her bare knee as he nuzzled her cheek with his mouth. His hair tickling her skin excited her as she anticipated his kiss. When it came, she met him with desire. As they tasted each other she tracked the location of his hand, which had left its place on her knee to slip under her skirt along the outside of her thigh. It felt nice, and she would be delighted with his touch there as long as he stayed on that side. He was slowly caressing her leg using his palm and then getting lighter with his touch by using his fingertips. It was very arousing, and she wanted to touch him too. She pulled up his t-shirt enough to slide her hand in. His throat rumbled contentedly as her fingers roamed his torso.

She was more than fine with his fingers slipping beneath her panties to stroke her hip, and when he kissed along her cleavage. "I want you so much, Kahoko", he confessed before devouring his lips. "Mmmm..." she replied.

The sound of distant laughter brought them out of their lovemaking. A couple of guys were making their way along the sidewalk. "We'd better go" Ryo sighed regretfully. "Do you know anyone on this street?" he asked with a smirk.

"No, I don't think so." He levered her back to her seat and kissed her hand before starting the engine. "Put your seat belt on" he advised, and waited until she had before pulling out of the parking spot. A couple minutes later he turned off the engine in her driveway.

"Kahoko, I have a favor to ask, but you can say no. It's my Mom's birthday on Friday and we're going to celebrate it that night. She's always said how much she loves the sound of the violin, so I was thinking that she would be delighted if we played something for her together. I think that the Chopin would be perfect. But please feel free to say no. I know you've been very busy lately."

She couldn't imagine saying no to such a request. She was hoping to have the coming week completely free of distraction, but this invitation was too sweet to pass up. She loved playing music with Ryo and she had always wanted to meet his Mom, that he had talked so much about. "I would be pleased to do it, Ryo."

"Will you? Hey, that's great! It will be the perfect birthday present for her. Thanks so much!"

"You're welcome. I'll look at the music tomorrow and we'll need to rehearse, won't we."

"Probably, but I'll leave that up to you. Let me know if and when you want to get together."

"Okay."

He kissed her softly and whispered "Thanks for spending the day with me."

**

* * *

Author's Note:** If I were Kaho, I'd be going crazy from having to keep all the boys **secret** from each other. Aaagh! It's so much better to be honest and I think that she's being as honest as she can be, but it's still such an impossible situation to be in. How is she ever going to get out of this without five of the boys hating her?

I can see how Ryo would find doing **errands** with her romantic, can't you?

Would your parents like it if you brought Ryo home to meet them? Would he fit in well with your family? I know that my family would have adored someone like him.

It's a good thing that **Azuma** didn't call when Ryo was with her! But it feels like things are getting more and more complicated as the boys try harder to get to her...

Have you ever been to a **50s diner**? So much fun! I just love it when you get a thick milkshake in a tall glass and there's still more milkshake left, which they give you in a tin cup.

Have you ever kissed or made out in a **car**? You have to do it at least once, since it seems to be some kind of teen rite of passage...but it's not comfortable! The hand brake and steering wheel are formidable barriers, and someone of Ryo's height would never fit in the back seat. Hmm, a van might work fine, though...

So that's how Ryo plans to get the edge over the other guys! **Duet** for his Mom's birthday. Very clever. Knowing Kaho's nervousness about performing, that will necessitate at least one or two rehearsals. And then she'll meet his family! Brilliant. Oh, and you don't know this yet, but he's planning to call her at least once a day. That's what friends do, right?

**Next chapter:** Oh boy! Etou walks her to school, Kaji's perspective, Ryo phones her, Kazuki arranges a meeting, Len says something surprising during her lesson, Azuma gives her a ride home... and more!...Wait, can I put all that in one chapter? Maybe I'll spread it out a bit...


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's note:** I took my laptop to a local cafe and sat outside for a couple hours at a shady circular marble table, sipping sparkling lemon water as I finished off this chapter that I began a few days ago.

Enjoy :)

_

* * *

Monday morning..._

Kahoko sidestepped the luggage by the door to go kiss her mother and sister. "Bye, I hope you have a nice time. Give Auntie my love."

And then she was out the door, rushing to meet the wild-haired boy at the corner. "I'm sorry, Kiriya. I'm late again." She ran into his embrace, which she had become addicted to these past several days. A Kiriya hug was deeply soulful and nourishing; the perfect way to start the day. He burrowed his face in her neck. "I don't mind you being late. Just as long as you show up eventually." His eyes were soft on her as she stepped back. He reached for her bag and then her hand, and they headed toward the school. "Don't worry" he said. I'll drop your hand if anyone sees us." His expression was both understanding and resigned.

"You're very kind, Kiriya." She tugged at his hand to stop him and she stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. Never in a million years would he ever use the word 'kind' to describe himself. He blushed, but his eyes twinkled for the rest of the journey.

* * *

As Kahoko was putting stuff into her locker, Aoi's mellow voice greeted her behind her left shoulder. "Good Morning, Hino-san." The unique timbre of his voice so close to her made her blush happily in remembering the intimacies they shared two days previous.

"Good Morning, Kaji-kun."

He waited for her and they walked into home room together. As the teacher made some notes on the blackboard, Aoi sat at his desk and drifted into thought world. His brain had been doing overtime ever since Hino-san's surprising revelation. He hadn't intended to obsess on the subject. After all, he truly wanted her happiness even if she found it with someone else, so ultimately it was good for her to have more men to choose from. But his mind had another agenda. It had been churning through various scenarios, intent in getting to the logical conclusion of all aspects that could be affected by the new information.

As he pondered the identity of his likely competitors he began to notice a pattern. Aoi was especially perceptive about people and last week he noticed a change in Tsukimori. That boy was going through something major. He was softer somehow, which was a seismic shift for the Ice Prince. Just seeing him walk down the hall, one could see that he was missing that stern, rushed quality that he used to have. If Len had somehow gotten himself to the point of actually kissing her, then that would have a huge impact on him. That guy was so tightly wound and cerebral that any physical contact, let alone with a special young woman like her, would have an enormous effect on him.

He noticed changes in other guys too. Tsuchiura was happier and yet somewhat troubled, Hihara seemed both dreamy and sad. Their moods had persisted over the course of several days, which made Aoi think that a date with her had something to do with it.

Azuma would have to be one of the candidates because Aoi suspected long ago that the guy liked Kahoko. A man from such an influential family would stop at nothing to get his way, although Aoi hadn't seen any recent difference in him...Etou had been walking Kahoko to school in the mornings and he seemed so attentive to her, the way his head was always inclined toward her as if not wanting to miss anything of what she said. It seemed so out-of-character for such a brash guy.

He considered other boys that Kahoko had contact with, but found no reason to second-guess his original conclusions. These were his 5 competitors; he was almost positive. But was he going to do anything about it? Or was he going to have to endure the torture of watching how in love the other boys were with his girl?

* * *

Ryo badly wanted to text her to ask how soon she wanted to get together to rehearse. But he was going to play it cool as long as he could. Instead, he texted "Good Morning, Beautiful." Her reply was "G M :) " It put a smile on his face and he was able to endure the droning of his boring English teacher.

* * *

She was in practice room 12, warming up with A minor harmonic scale, 3 octaves. Over and over and over. That upper octave was challenging but she would get it if it killed her! She wanted him to be proud of her. She was looking forward to his smile. His smiles were so sweet.

When he came in the door, though, he wasn't smiling. He seemed troubled. He held her hand as he kissed her cheek, but he was preoccupied with some inner thought. "Is everything all right, Tsukimori-kun?"

"Mm" he replied, impatient with his own mood. "I'm fine. How is the Bach coming?"

He was attentive to her as they worked for a few minutes together, and she was again mindful of how precious this time with him was. But he truly seemed unhappy. "Are you sure that you're OK?" she asked.

He regarded her for the longest time and she could see indecision in his eyes. She touched his hand gently.

Her touch was the catalyst that opened his mouth. "I've been thinking about Europe" he said softly.

"Europe?"

"Europe, about whether I want to go."

"W-what? But you...why?...I don't understand."

His eyes became deeper in color as they gathered emotion. "I don't have to go right away. I can wait 6 months, or a year."

She was really confused. "Why wouldn't you go now as you planned? Why would you wait?"

He could spell it out for her, but she hadn't yet made her decision. As close as she and he had become, she had never given any indication that she favored him over her other suitors. Just because he now recognized the depth of what he felt for her, didn't mean that he had any right to pressure her. "I just want you to know. I don't have to go now. I can wait."

What was he trying to say? Why would he discuss Europe with her at all? He didn't offer any more on the subject and she didn't press him further, although she was very concerned. Wouldn't he be jeopardizing his career if he waited?...Was he nervous about going? It didn't seem like him to worry. He had grown up performing, and surely nervousness was foreign to him. She studied his face and resolved to ask him about it again soon. He was a friend in need and she wanted to support him.

They went on to work on the Mozart and then called it a day. She felt that he was watching her and waiting for something, although that could be her overactive imagination. It was an uncomfortable sensation to be feeling his pain and not being able to do anything about it.

* * *

So preoccupied was she that she didn't notice her phone ringing as she negotiated the crowded hallway on her way to her locker to put her violin away. Eventually she clued in that the seemingly faint chime in the background of her consciousness did require action on her part. "Hello?"

"Hi Kaho-chan! Do you have time after school? I was thinking that we could go get a bite to eat."

"Oh Kazuki! I'm sorry that I can't today." Azuma would never forgive her if she bowed out on the first ride home in several days. "Maybe...do you want to eat lunch together tomorrow? I have a 3rd period lunch if that works for you."

"OK...sure, that would be great. Tell you what. I'll bring lunch for both of us. Is that all right?"

"Yes, thank you. I would like that. Should I bring something too? Maybe dessert?"

"Not this time. I have something in mind...Let's meet on the roof for 3rd period, then."

"Great! See you then."

His voice softened. "Have a good day, Kaho-chan."

"Thanks, Kazuki. You too. Bye."

"Bye."

Then she mused about how this was supposed to be a quiet week of reflection for her, away from the boys that she was making decisions about. And yet she would be walking with Etou, riding with Azuma, rehearsing with Ryo and going to meet his family, worrying about Len's disturbing new mood and now having lunch with Kazuki. She wished she could skip school and sleep for a whole day. But there would be major catching up to do if she missed...sigh...At least by the weekend she would have made her decision and this would all be over with.

Except that it wouldn't be, would it? She would be dating a wonderful guy but there would be 5 others that would either hate her or be depressed.

If she didn't pick any of them, would they hate her less?...Maybe that wasn't really an option. She would have pissed them off for nothing.

She really was allowing herself to begin thinking about this now, wasn't she? 'I need some kind of plan' she thought. The walk to Social Sciences class solidified the notion, and under her desk she quickly texted Nami. "Can we get tog soon? I need help."

It was also time to avail herself of Nao's wisdom. Kaho had been keeping her in the loop, just barely, and her friend had been understanding about the violinist's recent lack of time to talk. So she would appreciate getting the full rundown and being able to weigh in on Kaho's options.

* * *

His limo was waiting outside the gate and her heart leaped with anticipation. "What's with you?" he asked when he saw the liquid smile in her eyes. She suddenly felt shy and looked down at her hands. "I'm happy to see you" she confessed quietly.

"Come here" he said, enclosing her in his arms. "You sweet girl" he whispered into her hair. They held onto each other for several moments, feeling that it had been a long time. She had seen him as recently as Friday morning so she was surprised at how much she has missed being this close to him. She turned her face up to him and he settled blissfully into kissing her.

Yes, this was what he felt like. Different from the others. There was something special about him...his touch, the emotional tenderness so poignant because of the masks that hid it. She wanted to say 'I love you' because it was what she felt in this sweet moment, but instead she pressed closer to him and sank into his heat.

He disengaged rather abruptly. "So you're alone in the house this week?"

"Yes...why?"

"I want to come over."

"Uh, that's not a good idea."

"Why?"

"I have lots of homework to do...and I'm looking forward to having some time alone for a change." She stuck her chin out defiantly.

"Well, I never thought that you would callously hurt my feelings like this, Kahoko."

"What? Your feelings aren't hurt!...are they?..."

"Never mind." He slid his hand into her hair and pulled her closer. Rubbing his cheek gently along hers, he spoke softly in her ear. "You feel so good..." He lapped at the delicate skin just below her earlobe and she mewed softly. "I know what gives you pleasure, Kahoko. I know your secret places...That makes you mine." She couldn't really argue with him right now as he segued to another erogenous zone beneath her jaw. He made his point again when he tickled her thigh, causing her to shiver deliciously.

Just as she was beginning to wish they were on a bed, he released her with a smile. "We're here. See you soon" he promised softly with a kiss to her cheek before reaching across her to open the door.

"Uh...Bye." she replied in a daze as she slid out. "See you tomorrow."

He merely smiled before closing the door.

* * *

With the front door locked behind her she breathed a deep sigh of relief. It was so nice to have the house to herself, and to know that it would be like this for 3 days and nights. Little did her Mom and sister know how much she was glad that they were gone. She wasn't going to have the complete break from the boys that she hoped for, but being in an empty house for several hours was the next best thing.

She read the cheery note that Mother had left on the kitchen island. "Take care of yourself, K-chan. Don't stay up too late. Don't hesitate to call us or Uncle Shinichi at any time. We'll leave our phones on. We're out late for dinner tonight with Auntie Chika, but we'll call you tomorrow morning to make sure you get out of bed in time. Love, Mother."

Kahoko felt fine on her own. As long as she had certain security measures in place, she could relax. Knowing that Uncle Shinichi was only a few blocks away really helped. He was young enough not to fuss over her and get in the way, but he would be at the door in two minutes if she called him. She plugged the kettle in, climbed up the stairs to her bedroom, pulled off her uniform and got into her pajamas. Back down in the kitchen she pulled out green onions, a bell pepper, and some frozen peas. Dicing the pepper, she put it in a bowl and opened up a package of ramen noodles to dump on top. Scissors to slice the green onion, and a few frozen peas. Oh yes...she grabbed some tofu and cubed it. Pouring boiling water over the whole collection, she put the bowl on a tray with some tea and...what else? A cookie and a mini-mandarin orange for dessert. Carrying the tray to the dining room table, she unpacked her school bag and sat down.

The phone rang before she could open the first page. Popping out of her chair, she went to where she always put her phone on the stair banister. Walking back to the table with it, she pressed 'Talk' and prepared to multi-task by talking and eating at the same time...

"Hi Nao. You got my message?...Yes, I would love to tell you all about it. It's been so crazy and I need to see my Nao...Yeah...Yep...I know, I am so looking forward to sharing it with you and hearing what you think...I know... Yes, I know it's my decision, but I know that you know that." She smiled. Her friend was so cool. "You know what it's like; sometimes you get what you need by just telling someone about it...Yeah...Don't act coy, Nao. I know you'll say just the right things to help me, to at least figure out the next step...Yes: ramen...Ha, I know it's rude, but I'm famished!...You forgive me? Thanks. Then I forgive you for calling during dinner...OK, well it's too bad about your family thing tonight. Can you do tomorrow night?...Yes?...Oooh, that's a great idea! Yaay! Will you call Mio?...Great. I hope it works out...No, that's not necessary. I don't mind Mio hearing what you have to say. I don't think there's anything I can't say in front of her. I mean, she'll be typical Mio but that's what we love about her, right?...Yeah...OK, I'll wait for your text...Bye!"

Yay. It would be great if the girls could come over for a sleepover. They hadn't done that in months, since Christmas holiday. And she would be able to talk this problem to death and get their view on it. Like girls do. She smiled. You had to pity guys for not being able to bounce stuff off their friends in the same way. They were more likely to keep it all inside.

A little over an hour and a half later she stretched her arms high above her head and packed her books into her school bag. She looked over at the clock. Nine-fifty-two. Wandering wearily around the house, she double-checked the door locks and outside lights, and shut off the others before grabbing her phone on the way upstairs. After brushing her teeth she pulled some clothes out of her closet for the next day and hung them on her chair. Turning off the overhead light, she switched on the lamp on her night table, crawled into bed and picked up her book. It had been so long since she had read any of it, she wasn't sure if she remembered what had transpired in the story previous to where she had placed her bookmark...It probably didn't matter. She would be asleep before she got very far...

She nearly jumped out of her skin when her cell rang. Squinting in the low light, she was shocked to see the identity of her caller.

"H-hello, Azuma? Why..."

She could hear the smile in his sensual voice. "Is that any way to greet your protector?"

"Protector?"

"Of course. You didn't think that I would allow you to spend the night by yourself in an empty house, did you?"

"Whaat? What do you mean?"

"I'm at your front door. Let me in, please. I'm staying with you tonight."

**

* * *

Author's Note:** A-Z-U-M-A ! OMG, how bold of you to show up on her doorstep to spend the night! I wonder what's going to happen ('cause I haven't written it yet). Where is he going to sleep? Do you think he'll behave himself?

I can hardly wait for the girls' sleepover! I want one!

I like to think that Kaho is a pretty good cook, but that she's eating instant ramen because she's tired. Do any of you cook? I'm quite decent. I'm a creative cook, as opposed to a follow-the-recipe kind of person. I just kind of imagine what ingredients would taste good and through them in together. What about you?

What kind of advice do you think Amou will give? She's so opposite of Kaho, I wonder how helpful she'll be.

*sob* ...I get all choked up when I think about Len's conclusion that she is important enough to him for him to delay his trip, that he would at all consider risking the trajectory of his career for her. And she hasn't clued in! Oh the angst!

Ryo knows perfectly well that Kaho will want to rehearse with him. She would be too nervous to play otherwise, even though they performed the Chopin before. So he can afford to hang back and let her feel that it's her initiative to rehearse with him.

I can identify with Aoi's struggle to do the right thing. I think that this is one of life's largest questions; do I let go and trust that everything is working out for the best? Or is action needed from me in order to get the right result? Basically, it's Accept or Act.

It occurs to me that in spite of Etou's sometimes unpleasant outer behavior toward other people, he is so very REAL with her. I find it amazing that someone who has built up such effective emotional defenses, can so completely make himself vulnerable with someone he trusts. That's real courage, I think.

I'm always amazed when I finish a chapter. I never wrote before doing LCD fan fiction, so I'm not really sure what my process is. Sometimes it seems impossible that I would ever get my head in the right space to write a new chapter, and I don't know how to get there. So then I go read your comments, because they give me new perspective and even some story ideas that hadn't occurred to me. And then suddenly my fingers are flying across the keyboard and I'm in the zone. Amazing. What do you do to get yourself in a writing frame of mind? Any tips you can share with me?

**Next Chapter:** I haven't written it yet, but after we see how much text I devote to Azuma's sleepover, I may get to the following; Kahoko has a realization...lunch with Kazuki...Amou's advice.


	26. Chapter 26

_Monday night..._

_

* * *

She nearly jumped out of her skin when her cell rang. Squinting in the low light, she was shocked to see the identity of her caller._

_"H-hello, Azuma? Why..."_

_She could hear the smile in his sensual voice. "Is that any way to greet your protector?"_

_"Protector?"_

_"Of course. You didn't think that I would allow you to spend the night by yourself in an empty house, did you?"_

_"Whaat? What do you mean?"_

_"I'm at your front door. Let me in, please. I'm staying with you tonight."_

_.  
_

"But...but I can't let you in. I'm sorry, but you'll have to go."

"Kahoko, my driver has gone home to his wife and I have no intention of spending the night on your doorstep."

"Nooo...I couldn't let the neighbors see me letting you into the house! My family would be disgraced."

"Give me some credit. I came through the alley in the dark so no one saw me. Now I'm in the shadow of this rather tall shrub on your front lawn. If you shut off the lights then no one will see me enter. Hurry up because if I get a cold you'll have to take care of me."

"Azuma! You're impossible...(with a forced sigh)...I'm coming down..." keeping the phone to her ear as she got out of bed.

"Good Girl. I'll stay here until you make the whole yard dark. Better shut the inside lights off also."

Rushing down the stairs, she inquired "Why are you really here?"

"...Kahoko, I'm sure you already know the answer to that."

She wasn't actually afraid of him. She had a pretty good idea of what the night would entail. He wouldn't cross any lines that she didn't want crossed. The main issue was that she needed to get enough sleep to survive the next day at school.

Turning out all lights at the front of the house, she opened the door. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she listened for him. The soft crushing of grass alerted her to his location. And then he stepped up and up onto her front porch. She retreated into the foyer to make room for him, feeling with shivers up and down her spine how surreal this situation was. Locking the door, she waited as he removed his shoes and placed them by the wall.

Not wanting to disturb the magic of the quiet darkness, she found his hand and led him slowly through the hall and up the stairs. As they reached to the upper floor she pointed out the bathroom to him before leading him to her bedroom. She dropped his hand, crawled into bed with a sigh and pulled the covers back for him on the other side of the bed. Azuma stood near the doorway, surprised by her.

"Are you inviting me to your bed, Kahoko?"

"If I prepared you a bed in another room you would only get into my bed in the middle of the night anyway. I need my sleep and I don't want to waste time playing games. Just make sure you behave yourself."

"I thought you enjoyed my _behavior_." He grinned as he stripped down to his briefs and undershirt, opening the closet to hang his outer clothes within. Having also hung up the garment bag contained his school uniform, he approached the far side of the bed and put his watch on the night table. Climbing in close to her, he pulled the sheet and blanket up with his arm outstretched he waited for her. She turned out the light and rolled over to snuggle in the crook of his shoulder.

With the complications of this situation, there were details that needed attending to. "Azuma, do you eat breakfast?"

"Don't worry about me. My driver will have something ready for me."

"How are you planning to get out of here without being seen?"

"I'll go out the back door into the alley and walk to the corner to be picked up."

"Etou-kun will be waiting for me at the corner."

He smirked. "Well now. That will be interesting, won't it?"

"Please don't let him see you."

"Why not? I wouldn't mind talking to him."

"Azuma! Stop teasing me. My nerves are already shot."

He squeezed her shoulder. "I know, I'm sorry. I won't let him see me...for your sake. I'll have my driver pick me up in the opposite direction."

"Thanks for that...Doesn't your driver report to your Grandmother?"

"He and I are quite close. He's...sympathetic to my situation... He covers for me when need be."

"Oh. That's good...My Mom is going to call in the morning to wake me to get ready for school."

"What time?"

"Probably 8:00ish."

"All right. Anything else?" When she shook her head he stroked her arm, saying softly "Goodnight, my Kahoko."

"Goodnight, Azuma" she replied sleepily. "You're very bad, you know."

"If you say so."

He kissed her on the temple and she quickly fell into a peaceful deep slumber. He lingered a little longer in wakefulness, listening to her breathing. 'This feels right' he thought. Holding onto her now was one of the best moments he could remember. He actually felt ...happy. Soon he too sank into contented sleep.

Her dreams were unusually cozy. She was enjoying the warmth of a man who cherished her. At least that's what it felt like.

* * *

Hours later in the full nothingness of sleeping-not-dreaming she became aware of movement. Over the course of several slow seconds she remembered that something was different...oh yes, Azuma was in her bed. Warm lips soft on her forehead. "...mngh..." she grumbled. "...wha time-z-it?"

"Not quite 7:00" he replied softly. "Go back to sleep." Ever so subtly brushing his face over hers, like a cat.

She complained "How can I, when you're doing that?"

"I'll be gentle" he whispered as he delicately nuzzled her ear. She could feel herself falling back to slumber to the pleasant accompaniment of his touch. She almost didn't notice him running his hand down her arm until he brought her hand to his lips. "Such tiny fingers" he observed as he kissed each knuckle. She liked how it felt when he slipped his leg over hers to get even closer. He settled into softly combing his fingers through her hair, getting seduced by the silkiness of it, until he too was again asleep.

* * *

They were awakened by the jarring sound of the phone. "Wha!" With bleary eyes she looked at her bed companion as she tried to remember her exact location in the universe.

"How long does it usually take you to answer it in the morning?" he asked.

"How would I know? I'd be too asleep to count, wouldn't I? she answered with unusual clarity for such an hour. "Stay still...and you'd better get off me while I'm talking to Mom or I won't be able to sound...alone."

He smiled and disentangled his limbs from hers. When he had found his new position on the bed she answered.

The way-too-perky voice in her ear was that of her sister. "Gooood Morning, Ka-chan. You'd better start getting dressed as we talk, don't you think?"

"All right, Keiko" she grumbled. "I'm getting out of bed right now. She turned to offer Azuma a wry expression before flipping the covers back. Her feet fumbled for slippers as she asked "So, how's Auntie?" As she got out of bed, he took advantage of her noises to carefully remove himself from the bed as well. He needed to get ready.

"Auntie is great. We had a good trip, visited for a while at the house. Oh, Ka-chan, the puppies are adorable! There are 6 of them. Half of them are white like Fifi, and obviously the father was black because that's what color the other 3 puppies are."

As her sister gushed more about the puppies, Kahoko met his eyes but avoided looking any lower, at how good he might look in his underwear for example. Oh no, she did look! He was so _male_...She whirled around so the sight of him wouldn't distract her from hearing her sister. He grinned at her embarrassment as he quietly opened the closet door, extracted his uniform and began getting dressed.

But she herself had to get dressed and she wasn't going to do it in front of him. Sis would think it weird if she went into another room to do it. "Keiko, I really have to go to the bathroom. Will you say Hi to Mother for me, please? I have to go now."

"Fine. Be a good girl, okay? Don't invite any boys over." She laughed at her own joke. "Talk to you soon."

When she had hung up, Azuma observed "She talks a lot."

"That's what sisters do with each other." She made note of the time, grabbed her clothes and darted to the bathroom, locking the door.

After she had dressed and brushed her teeth she heard his voice at the door. "Do I get a goodbye kiss?"

She opened the door and offered her cheek, which he ignored except to use it to turn her mouth toward him. With a feather-light kiss he said "See you later."

"Go ahead out the back door. It locks itself."

"Are you sure you don't want a ride?"

"I'm sure. See you later." She finished getting ready at the sink, noting the sound of the back door clicking shut. Their back yard had a high wall, so it was unlikely that he would be seen. Fingers crossed. It was amazing how many highly unusual things had occurred these past few weeks..._Her life had become chaotic and she was getting used to it!_

She dashed into her bedroom and found that he had made the bed. She was surprised that he knew how. But Mio and Nao might be come right after school and they knew that she always slept until the last minute and that she wouldn't have time to make the bed. So she pulled the covers back on her side of the bed, jumped in and wriggled around a bit before popping back out. With a cursory check of the room to make sure there was no sign of him, she grabbed her phone and bag and flew out the front door.

* * *

It was a miracle that she wasn't more than a couple minutes later than usual in running to Etou-kun.

He watched her sprinting toward him and thought she seemed different somehow...preoccupied...and she wasn't making real eye contact. "Are you all right?" he asked as he folded her in his arms. She felt different too, like she wasn't really there for him.

She knew that she was pulling away sooner than usual. She imagined Azuma waiting down the street somewhere, spying on them and she didn't want to deal with his jealousy. "Sorry Etou-kun, I'm kind of out of it. I slept in more than usual and my sister...had to wake me up." She had almost said that her sister had phoned, which might have led to her telling him that she was alone in the house. That's all she needed, was another boy coming over!

She didn't know if Azuma was watching or not but she wouldn't want him to see Etou holding her hand, so she laced her arm through his elbow instead. He seemed satisfied with that form of closeness and they continued their school-ward trek amiably if a tad hurriedly.

* * *

The young man in the back of the limousine was smiling contentedly as his vehicle neared the school. The past few hours had been blissfully...cozy. He had grown up without physical affection and was surprised to find that he needed it...at least from her. What a shock that it didn't have to be sex; it could be other forms of touch. He grinned in self-mockery as he acknowledged his desire to someday have a warm home life; a sweet wife to sit down to dinner with, to share thoughts with, to snuggle with, to kiss goodnight...So cliche, so un-Yunoki. He shook his head vigorously. Maybe these thoughts were just passing through...

* * *

Later that morning during second period the fire alarm went on, scaring everyone one of their wits for about 3 seconds before there were mutterings of it being 'probably a false alarm' as they filed out the door. A little excitement to wake everyone up and the halls were noisy with teenage chatter. Outside they were instructed to stay together as a class. Kaji didn't want to bother her at every opportunity so he stood a distance away but kept an eye on her.

Her phone ran. "Hi Nao...I know; crazy huh? At least we get some fresh air...I'm by the fountain. Where are you?..." She turned her gaze suddenly to the three tallest trees, finding her friend to be jumping up and down to the side of them and waving. "Oh, I see you!" She waved. "So what's the word about tonight?...Great! Do you want to walk home with me?...Oh. OK, so your Mom will drive you and Mio once you get your pajamas and stuff?...That's a good question. I have some snackies in the house...you will? That would be great, thanks. Hey, ask Mio if she can bring that cute sparkly pink nail polish...Fine...yeah, see you after 5:30 then. Looking forward to it...Bye!"

Now to phone _him_. "Hi Azuma" she greeted as quietly as she could. "...Uh, yes it was very nice...So my girlfriends are coming to sleep over tonight...What? Seriously?" She lowered her voice to a whisper and scanned her surroundings to make sure that she wasn't being observed. She met Kaji-kun's eyes that were studying her from afar and she wondered how much he had guessed about her conversation. But she needed to focus on the boy in her ear. "You were going to...again? Well, I'm sorry 'bout that...uh, they return Thursday evening, but that doesn't mean you can...I do _not_ owe you...Uhm, we'll have to talk about that...After school? OK, if you still want to..." She noticed Ryo making his way toward her... "I'm going to go now. Bye."

The tall pianist was at her side. "One of your friends?"

"Yes...Mio and Nao are coming over to spend the night at my place."

"Three girls. I can just imagine how giggly things will get." He smiled tolerantly.

"Of course" she replied. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Have you had a chance to look at the Chopin?"

"Yes, I did. I think I'll be fine with my notes, but I'm not sure about the ensemble part of it. Do you have time to go through it tomorrow?"

"Sure. I have spares for 3rd and 4th period, and after school too."

"Well, I think that 4th period works best for me."

He lowered his voice. "That's right. Yunoki is giving you a ride after school." Right at that moment he noticed Kaji watching him. They nodded at each other in acknowledgment.

"Yes, he is."

Nothing more he could say about that, really. He had already concocted his own plan to have time with her. "I'll see you for 4th period, then. I'll text you when I book a practice room."

"OK, thanks."

He was searching for another topic of conversation when the fire alarm stopped dinging and the teachers began motioning students to go back in. "Well, I'd better go. I was going to call you tonight, but I won't bother you since you're with your friends. See you around." He put his hand affectionately on her head, aware of the blond boy's eyes on him, not that Ryo cared.

She watched him return to his classmates and made a mental note to remember tomorrow's rehearsal. Kaji came to her side with a smile. "A little bit of excitement for the day, huh? At least it wasn't a real fire. It would be awful if anything happened to the instruments."

"Yeah."

It was almost lunch time and the teacher dismissed everyone 5 min early, so she picked her books off her desk and put them in her locker. It was a good thing that Kazuki was bringing lunch, since she hadn't thought to prepare one for herself last night. Her Mom usually did that for her. She was spoiled that way...Time to head to the roof...

* * *

Kazuki's long legs carried him quickly down the hall and up the steps two at a time, until he was shoving open the heavy creaking roof door. She wasn't there yet so, putting his backpack down on a bench, he paced restlessly as he waited. He felt so much better since he last saw her, when she said nice things to boost his confidence. It was good to know that he had a real chance with her, although it was a bit more nerve-wracking... Whatever. He'd survive...As long as she was happy.

When she burst through the door he sprang happily over to her side.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I thought that some of you could use a break from lemon, hence the rather tame chapter. Except that things are getting too close for comfort! Her sister calling while he was in her bed! Azuma going out the back door while Etou is standing at the corner, watching the front door!

For those of you who are concerned about Azuma having become too loving and affectionate, you might like to know that I have plans for him to reassert some of his Azumic ways...Mwa-ha-haaaa! He's really delusional if he thinks that he doesn't have real competition from the other guys...on the other hand sometimes the most successful people in the world are that way because they set their sights on a goal and can't see any other way.

I confess that in my own life I'm always studying people, trying to figure out what makes them tick. Like this one woman who made my life hell with her criticisms and demands...until I realized that her behavior was a cover-up for her deep insecurities. I started showing her some sympathy, talking to her in the same tone of voice that she used with me...and she turned into a real softie!...People are so fascinating. Very often, extreme behavior is a cover for its opposite. The most controlling people are in constant fear of _losing _control of their life so they try to control other people... Rough, rude people are trying to cover up how soft and vulnerable they feel inside. So complex. Anyway, I've enjoyed delving into Azuma's psyche. His is quite the unique situation.

I was reading through some of the earlier chaps of LCdO and interested to see how perceptive Kaji is. He really does see through people. I guess that his affection for Kahoko is a testament to her pure heart. I can just imagine what he's thinking as he sees Ryo's hand on her hair. Poor Kaji. But Ryo too is a great guy and has a history with her...sigh...

**Next Chapter:** This chapter didn't quite go as I planned, so who knows what will happen in the next one. But something along the lines of...lunch with Kazuki...the girls' sleepover...Kahoko's realization...Amou's advice.


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note:** Surprise! :) I'm finally back with another chapter. MAJOR-MAJOR writer's block has been keeping me away. For the past several months this story has been on my mind but I didn't know what should happen next. Then in spite of not feeling ready, last month I began going to my fave cafe, sitting down with a coffee, opening up my laptop, reading and trying to write. I'm astounded at how one can put in the time with full attention and intention, and yet nothing comes. Finally a few days ago something clicked. It's not necessarily an exciting chapter, but I'm feeling some flow and I've got a couple more already in the works...

_

* * *

Monday noon..._

_Kazuki's long legs carried him quickly down the hall and up the steps two at a time until he was shoving open the heavy creaking roof door into the light of day. She wasn't there yet, so putting his backpack down on a bench, he paced restlessly as he waited. He smiled as he remembered the nice things that she'd said about thinking he was a great guy. It was good to know that he had a real chance with her, although it was a bit more nerve-wracking to know that he was really in the competition...  
_

_When she burst through the door he sprang over to her side._

* * *

Azuma slowly twirled the pencil in his fingers in unison with the thoughts swirling in his head. Minutes earlier he had intercepted Kazuki as the lanky boy passed the door of the student council office. Their conversation was brief and inconsequential. It was his friend's face that relayed the most information. The eyes that lately dwelled mostly in sad wistfulness were now brilliant with giddy joy. The boy sprang to the rooftop, to what Azuma intuited to be a rendez-vous with their favorite redhead. His guess was confirmed when shortly afterwards from his desk he spied Kahoko flying up the stairs.

His eyes squeezed shut as his heart contracted with a momentary flash of pain. He had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted her. And he deserved her because he had more to offer her than the other guys. Who else could give the life of comfort and privilege that he was determined to achieve for their future together?...But what if she didn't care about that? What if she couldn't look any further than the first flush of having a first boyfriend? What if she preferred to be the teenager that she was, living in the moment? What if she preferred Kazuki's boyish, carefree ways? ...Why _did_ her face soften so readily in Kazuki's presence, anyway?

Azuma didn't have the luxury of time. If he was going to break with his family for her, he would have to do it quickly before while he had the element of surprise in his favor.

He would do anything to win Kahoko and keep her..._except_ getting in the way of Kazuki's happiness. If she chose the green-haired boy then he wouldn't interfere...sigh...It was killing him to come to terms with this sudden sense of morality. He could be ruthless when achieving his own ends, but ultimately he suspected that he couldn't actively hurt either of them. Until Kahoko made her choice, all he could do was to keep demonstrating his commitment to her...and revealing as much of his heart as he dared.

The latter point was a challenge for him; heart. Love...He loved his sister and he probably even loved Kazuki. He was uncomfortable with the concept. For almost everyone else in his life he held contempt. It was how he viewed the petite Gen-Ed student in the beginning. But he had found himself seeking her out again and again, ostensibly to toy with her, but deep down it was to fill a need. The innocence, honesty and determination in her that he had scoffed at, became qualities that he admired. Maybe now he could even admit that he himself aspired to them. The most amazing thing was that she made him feel lighter and even..._hopeful_. In her presence he could imagine another life for himself. He _could_ create the life of his imagining, and he couldn't conceive of her not being a part of it. She who inspired it. If she chose Azuma he would rise to his fullest power and make miracles happen. If she chose someone else he would concede defeat and follow the edicts of his miserable family. Without her there was no point in going through the hell of opposing his grandmother's formidable will. He would return to his inner world of skepticism and deceit.

* * *

Kazuki handed her the ornate bento box. "Oh, how beautiful!" Kahoko exclaimed as she removed the lid. An assortment of sushi rolls was adorned with decorative vegetables, shaped like flowers, leaves, bees and butterflies.

"My Mom made it for you. She took a course last year in food arranging. When I told her that I was having lunch with...a special friend..." he blushed deeply "...she made it like this."

Mrs. Hihara Kotone knew there was a girl in her son's life. Her heart wrenched to see him looking forlorn as he often had these past few weeks. He was such a sweet and sensitive boy. When he shyly asked her to prepare a special lunch, she jumped at the chance. "I would love to, Son. Why don't you help me?" She showed him how to make roses out of the miniature tomatoes, vinca blooms from the carrot slices, twirling vines from bits of green onion plunged into ice water.

"I helped too" Kazuki told Kahoko.

She picked up an avocado roll encrusted in toasted sesame seeds. "Yumm! I almost don't want to touch anything; it looks so pretty, like a garden."

The two friends munched happily, shoulders touching as they sat on the wooden bench warmed by midday sun. After a delicious variety of delightful food and the last bite of strawberry mousse tart she sighed contentedly. "Thank you so much, Kazuki. I feel spoiled."

Her smile enhanced his already-honeyed mood. He covered her hand with his. "I like making you happy, Kaho-chan." He leaned slowly toward her and softly rubbed his nose alongside hers.

She inhaled his scent as his cheek caressed hers. Anticipating a kiss, she was surprised when he stood and pulled her gently to her feet. She allowed him to gather her in his arms, rocking her from side to side in a subtle dance. Meditatively stroking her hair, he held her close to his heart. Thus they remained, buoyed in their bubble of affection until the school bell cut jaggedly into their reverie.

* * *

In Socials class she rested her chin in her hand, remembering the sweetness of the past hour. Sweet; yes, that's how it felt to be with him. Sweet...and joyful. But exciting too. When the bell had rung he had held her face in both hands and kissed her so thoroughly and passionately that her legs weakly wobbled as he pulled away. And now she was surprised to find herself boldly wondering what it would be like to be horizontal with him. What if she were to go as far with him as she did with Azuma or Kiriya? Her cheeks colored as she envisioned him above her, removing items of clothing, his roving hands, his body pressing into her in the heat of passion, his maleness overtaking her, filling her senses...

"Hino-san!" The teacher was waiting for her answer.

"Pardon?" Uh-oh. She was caught not paying attention.

"The impact of World War 2 on the emancipation of women?"

She hurriedly thought back to how Kiriya had helped her with this part of the assignment Taking a deep breath, she latched onto something relevant in her memory and answered...

* * *

His limo pulled forward as he emerged from the gate. Once parked, the driver went around to open the door. "Good afternoon, Sir."

"Good afternoon. We'll be driving Hino-san today."

"Very well, Sir."

Azuma allowed the heaviness of his feelings to weigh on him as he sank into the leather upholstery. Being jealous of his best friend and doubting the outcome of his heart's desire was very frustrating. Pushing his fingers back from his forehead through his hair, he waited...waited for her to come lift him out of his cage.

When he caught sight of her red tresses in the distance his heart beat faster. As she neared his ears got warm and began throbbing. He wondered if he would be able to maintain some semblance of control around her this time...

He pushed on the door handle to let her in. Her friendly smile failed to alleviate the surging passion that coursed through him. He couldn't restrain the heat. "Azuma? Are you OK?" she asked with concern.

He reached for her waist and pressed her down along the cushions. "Azuma, why do you look so serious? You're scaring me..."

He covered her with his body and murmured into her neck. "Don't be scared, Kahoko..." She would have to get used to his mood swings if she was to be with him. His voice caught as he said "I just really need you right now." He looked deeply into her sparkling eyes, and seeing her nervousness, took a deep breath and softened his own regard. "Don't be scared" he again reassured. But he wasn't about to stop before getting his fill of her. Pulling her lower lip down gently with his thumb until she took the hint, he sank his tongue into her mouth as his other hand slid to the back of her neck.

She could feel his urgency. The rough moan from his throat underscored his emotional state. She loved this part of him when he was real with her, how he let her witness his vulnerability. Little did she know how crucial her presence was in unlocking Azuma's inner self. Every bit of contact with her left him freer, more accepting, more honest with himself. He himself might not be able to put a finger on the process of his transformation, but he knew that he needed her. Coming to grips with his addiction to her...he acknowledged his dependence. Was this an aspect of love?

"Kahoko..." he whispered...She opened her eyes to meet his.

"Mm?"

He wanted to put his feelings into words. He wanted to...but he wasn't ready. The fear was too strong right now. He wasn't ready to open that door...

She watched his eyes tear up before he once more leaned to to claim her lips.

* * *

She turned around to wave once her key successfully turned in the front door lock. Watching the limo depart she sighed heavily. Azuma's discomfiture was palpable and yet she couldn't help but feel that it was all to the good. Change was good for him. She wouldn't give it another thought as she prepared to receive her guests.

Nao and Mio were due to arrive after 5:30. Kahoko put her jacket in the closet, kicked off her shoes and pulled on her slippers, put her purse on the hall table and her phone in its usual place on the stair railing. Standing with hands on hips she took a few seconds to consider the evening ahead of her as she stared at the living room...The house was tidy enough. Maybe another double-check to make sure there wasn't any trace of Azuma's stay...The guest room was ready; there were two double beds, which meant that the girls could chat right up until they fell asleep. She smiled at the thought...Food; Nao said that she and Mio would be bringing chips and soda and other goodies. What about dinner, though? Kahoko had a craving for pizza, but maybe she should check with the others. She picked up her phone and pushed the numbers...

"Hi Nao...Is that Mio that I hear in the background?...I just wanted to ask if you guys feel like having pizza..." She waited as her two friends discussed it. "Yes? OK, Shall I get the usual?...Yeah, I remember that you don't like green pepper. Are you still planning to get here around 5:30?...Oh sure, that's fine. Mm-hm, 6ish is totally fine. No rush. I'm looking forward to it!"

* * *

She pulled out the violin and began practicing one of the sections that made her nervous. This one crescendo section was difficult to pull off in just one bow. Ten more minutes before the girls are due to arrive...

* * *

By the time the doorbell rang everything she could think of was ready. She had even lit some candles in the living room to make it feel even more like a special occasion. Looking around once more, she headed to the front door as the bell ding-donged repeatedly. She rolled her eyes and smiled as she reached for the handle.

The sight that greeted her was that of her pals in full party-mode: Nao with a big grin, Mio jumping up and down, and Amou with a bakery box in her arms. "Kaho-chan, we brought Amou-chan with us!" Mio squealed, stating the obvious."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Poor Azuma is depressed. He's used to taking action to control situations to his advantage, but in keeping his promise to respect her freedom to decide, he is feeling the full discomfort of being fate's puppet. I hate to see him like this. I wonder what he'll do next...

I like seeing Kazuki growing in self-esteem. He has so much going for him.

Sleepover! So much fun! I'd love to hear your stories about sleepover experiences you've had, if you feel like sharing.

**Next Chapter: **Sleepover: lots and lots of girl-talk with a couple minor interruptions


	28. Chapter 28

_Monday night..._

_By the time the doorbell rang, everything she could think of was ready. Looking around once more, she headed to the front door as the bell ding-donged repeatedly. She rolled her eyes and smiled as she reached for the handle._

_The sight that greeted her was that of her pals in full party-mode: Nao with a big grin, Mio jumping up and down, and Amou with a bakery box in her arms. "Kaho-chan, we brought Amou-chan with us!" Mio squealed, stating the obvious."_

"That's great!" Kahoko asserted. "I'm so glad! Please come in, everyone." Eying the abundance of baggage that the girls had with them, she wondered how many days her friends were planning to stay over!

"We're prepared for anything" Amou replied, following the redhead's visual survey.

The hostess opened the closet, grabbed a hanger and held out her hand to take Nao's jacket. "What all did you bring?"

Mio answered "I brought my sparkly pink nail polish..."

"I've got this great face mask for you gals to try" Amou offered.

"...and we stopped for munchies along the way" Nao said as she rifled through the two bags in her left hand. "Soda, chips, chocolate..."

Amou held up the bakery box in her hands. "...and cake" she finished. "Is the kitchen this way?" she asked, inclining her head.

Kahoko led the way. "Sorry, yes. That's right; you haven't been here before. Follow me..." She took the box from Amou and led the way.

"Cozy house you have here" Amou commented.

"Thank you. We have a lot of good memories here." Kahoko was pulling large bowls, drinking glasses and napkins from the cupboard. Nao and Mio arrived to help dump munchies into bowls and pour beverages.

"All right, let's go. To the living room!" Kahoko announced

The girls grabbed food and drink and made the trek to the other room. Suddenly the redhead burst out "Let's put our PJs on right away! Remember we did that last time?"

"Yeah!" all of them shrieked. Putting pajamas on before supper seemed like the ultimate indulgence. It was also a wise move in terms of getting into the swing of the evening. After all, it was a school night and they would bitterly regret it the next day if they stayed up too late. Upstairs they changed out of their day clothes, chatting the whole time about this and that.

Just as they were about to head downstairs, Amou convinced everyone that they should put on the face mask. Minutes later after crowding around the bathroom sink they all had mint-scented blue clay on their faces and were giggling uncontrollably. Then they decided they may as well put nail polish on as well. Just as Kahoko returned from her bedroom holding a camera in her sparkly fingers, the doorbell rang. All the girls cried in unison "PIZZA!"

"Oh no! I forgot all about it!" Kahoko complained. "And we've all got blue faces!"

"I'll go. I don't care." Amou tossed off the comment with insouciance. She grabbed her purse and vaulted down the stairs with Kahoko calling after her. "I have to give you the money!..."

"I'm fine!" Amou's voice drifted back. The girls cowered out of sight, tittering girlishly until they heard Amou close the front door. "Yummy!" she exclaimed loudly, and the friends descended to the downstairs level

"Was the delivery guy surprised?" Mio asked.

"Yeah" Amou laughed. "At first he just stared and then he smiled. He didn't say anything about it, though."

"I'm so glad that you did it, Amou-chan. I would have died of embarrassment!" Mio declared earnestly.

They were ready to chow down. With plates in hand they were about to serve themselves when suddenly Amou exclaimed "Wait! We really should remove the face masks before we try to put food in our mouths!"

"But we just put them on. Aren't we supposed to leave them on for a while?" Mio protested in confusion.

"I've been keeping track" Nao said. "We have 4 minutes to go. We should put the lid down on the pizza box so it stays warm."

The friends tromped back upstairs to wait for Nao's signal, and then they got to the business of rinsing their faces with warm water. Moments later they sprinted downstairs and were once again gathered around the pizza box, agreeing that their faces did indeed feel soft and silky.

The girls inhaled the food and discussed light topics such as music and movie actors and fashion and beauty tips. Finally the chatter died down. "I'm stuffed!" Kahoko echoed her friends' sentiments.

"So..." Nao turned to her "are you going to tell us about these boys you've been dating, or what?" Murmurs of enthusiasm for the topic filled the air. "Yeah, tell us, tell us! You hardly told us anything for weeks!" Mio demanded in her little soprano voice.

Kahoko smiled wearily and interlocked her fingers in her lap.. "Yes, I know, sorry...All right. Um, as you know, I've been dating Tsuchiura, Yunoki, Hihara, Kaji, Etou, and Tsukimori-kun...and _I've never been so confused!" _She rolled her eyes and buried her face in her palms.

All the girls giggled, enjoying their friend's delicious predicament. Because from the outside, there wasn't much to complain about from being wooed and courted by the school's six hottest guys. This past month their imaginations had been working overtime, wondering what it was like for her.

Nao chuckled, but was cognizant of her friend actually needing help. She had a very big decision to make, that would affect a lot of people. "So what's the problem, Kaho-chan?"

"The _problem is_ that I really like _all_ of the boys and _they_ all seem very serious about me. I can only pick one of them and the rest of them will be very upset at not being picked. _They're all going to hate me!"_

"Huuhn..." Mio's jaw dropped, for the first time considering that Kahoko's situation might be something other than a romantic dream.

"Don't you like one of them more than the others, Kaho-chan?" Mio wanted to know.

The violinist shared with her friend with a look of self-frustration.. "No"...

"Really?" Nao approved of Mio's line of thought as a first line of attack. "There isn't _one_ of them that you have a soft spot for, or that you feel more comfortable with?"

"Well let me think...I probably feel the most relaxed with Hihara-kun..." Her gal-pals were nodding as if they weren't surprised. "He's easy to be with...He may be the one that is most like me. We like a lot of the same things...Oh, but Kaji-kun is super-easy to be with too. We're not as much the same, but he's so patient and easy-going...caring. It's like I can do no wrong with him. He makes me feel wonderful. He's a really special person." She paused to compare the two boys. "He's more mature and worldly than Hihara-kun, so I feel safer with him...But Kazuki' is really fun."

She considered further. "Tsuchiura-kun has always been a great friend to me and he likes taking care of me..." She searched for a tactful way of relating his jealousy and criticism of Azuma and Kiriya. "I've discovered that he feels quite protective of me. I feel comfortable with him, although I wonder if he could be over-protective."

Amou jumped in. "Yeah, you wouldn't want that. You need someone that recognizes your free will. Woman power!" She punched her fist in the air and everyone laughed.

"Did he do something that concerned you?" Nao inquired.

"Yeah, sort of. He said stuff about a couple of the other guys. He doesn't know them as well as I do. Of course he just wanted to make sure that I was being treated right."

"What did he say?" Mio asked.

"I don't want to say." She smiled. The girls knew how she was about protecting the boys' privacy. "I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with him. It's just something that I'm wondering about." She'd hate for them to get the wrong impression about him. After all, she and he had resolved the issue, and in a very satisfactory way, too. Even more important than never having disagreements was having the communication skills and the willingness to work through a problem. She thought they'd done a good job of it. She loved the way he had checked with her afterward, asking "Are we OK?" Such a useful phrase and she was glad that it was in his repertoire. "I'm glad that he told me what was on his mind, and it shows that he cares about me. I thanked him for his concern, told him that I didn't have any worries about the guys, and that he should trust that I have good instincts about people. He said he did trust me, and I was glad that we were able to talk about it. It felt good talking with him, like we respected each other."

But regarding the ingredients of a good relationship..."But comfort isn't the only thing that's important, is it? Some of what really interests me in some of the boys is the way that I can learn from them...because they know more than me about something."

"Like what?" Nao encouraged.

Mio bounced in her seat. "I know! Tsukimori-kun is way better than her on the violin!"

"Yes" Kahoko agreed. "That's an understatement! I feel like I could spend a lifetime with him and never run out of inspiration about the violin."

"Oooh..." Amou teased.

"What?"

"You said you could spend a lifetime with him."

"Oh...well I didn't mean it like that! Besides, he's going away. It's too sad." She would save his mysterious statement for later, after they'd discussed everything else.

Nao inquired "How do the boys challenge you?"

"Ok. So...Etou-kun is very quick-witted and good with words. And I would love to be able to do what he does on the violin. He's great at improvising and composing." She described their first date together, touching on his charismatic performance and his enthusiastic fan base.

Amou prompted "Apparently Etou-kun is quite the sensual guy."

"Yeah, he's quite cuddly." She related how affectionate he was, about their long hugs.

Mio and Nao were shocked to hear about the gruff boy's hidden character. "I can't believe my ears" Nao declared. "If it weren't you talking, I'd think it impossible for him to be nice to anyone."

"I know. It was a surprise to me too. And to think that the change happened because of a blindfold kiss." She smiled at the thought. "Umm, who else haven't I talked about?...Azuma knows everything and has been all around the world. Kaji-kun also. He gets good grades and has done more traveling than I'll ever do. He's so wise, too. He has great instincts about people. And he's a great athlete, of course."

"Hihara and Tsuchiura-kun are superb athletes too" Amou said.

"Yeah, if I end up with one of them, I'll probably end up getting lots of exercise." She unfortunately met Amou's provocative look at that very moment. "I don't mean _that_ kind of exercise! Normal exercise." She rolled her eyes. Must Amou always favor a sexual interpretation of things? But she wasn't actually upset. She cherished her friends' different personalities and considered herself lucky to have them. I was such a relief to be able to talk about her situation.

Nao thought of another angle. "Do you like one of them less? Or maybe there's some concern or complication about one of them?"

Kahoko frowned and chewed on a knuckle. Azuma instantly came to mind. "Yunoki-sempai's family wouldn't like me dating him. They could make trouble, although he says he's determined to somehow overcome that."

"Ohh..." The wheels were turning in their heads as the girls thought about what kind of measures a wealthy family could take to tear a young couple apart. "That could definitely be an unpleasant situation" Nao observed. "Do you believe that Yunoki-sempai is actually serious about you?"

"Yes, he is." Kahoko understood Nao's concern, although she wasn't about to share with her friend the depth of Azuma's commitment to her, more than to say "He's very serious."

Nao and Amou would have doubted her statement if she weren't so firm in her conviction.

Mio gushed. "Ahh, you're so lucky, Kaho-chan. To have someone so handsome and distinguished wanting you. Did he ask you to marry him?"

"Huh?"

Mio's starry-eyed question was hitting a little too close to the mark, and Kahoko was relieved to be interrupted by the sound of her cute ring-tone in another room. "Oh, that's my phone!" Kahoko jumped up, grateful for the distraction. She left the room to the accompaniment of the girls' knowing 'Wooohs' as they guessed it was one of the boys calling. Looking at the call display, she was surprised to see the name 'Etou, Kiriya'.

"H-hello?" she answered tentatively, continuing to walk further out of earshot of the living room.

"Hi Kahoko, it's Kiriya." Even without having identified himself, she would have immediately recognized him from his distinctive voice. That voice that could readily deliver cutting sarcasm and criticism. But with her it was soft and caring...and now it was cautious. "Uh, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Kiriya." Although in her embarrassment over taking his call while 3 sets of curious ears were perked up in the other room she almost blurted 'Why are you calling?' Instead, her mother's training had her hold her tongue until the phrase "It's nice to hear your voice" came to mind.

"You too" he responded warmly. "Um, I just wanted to make sure that you're OK. You were acting a little...weird this morning."

Uh-oh. She needed to keep Azuma's overnight stay a secret from Kiriya. Only she and Azuma knew and she intended to keep it that way. She wouldn't even be telling her girlfriends. Wow, Kiriya was so perceptive. What could she say to him to put his mind at ease? She scanned the possibilities in her head...

The silence seemed long to him. "Kahoko, is there anything you need to talk about?"

She realized that he was genuinely worried and that maybe he thought there was some serious situation that she needed help with. "Oh no, Kiriya. I'm totally fine. This morning I was wondering again about whether we should have done what we did the other night. But later I realized that I was more worried about what other people might think, than about my own feelings. Because you made me feel really good and I am glad that we did it, but I guess sometimes I can't help but worry about what other people might say...like my Mom, although I'm not planning to tell her or anyone else!" Very true.

"Huh...I certainly don't want you to worry, Kahoko. I thought about it afterward. Maybe I should have gone slower with you. I'm sorry. I don't have any experience with girls..." His voice lowered "...I just...I really wanted you."

"Oh Kiriya, I'm glad we did it, really!"

"But you obviously feel bad. I shouldn't have pushed you."

"You didn't push me, so don't worry about it. I could have asked you to stop, but I didn't want to."

"Hmm..." He sounded doubtful. He needed some reassurance...in person. "Can I come over now? I could really use a hug..."

Her voice dropped in sympathy. "I would love one of your hugs too, but right now there are three of my girlfriends over to stay the night."

"Oh!...Uh..._you're not going to talk about us, are you?"_

"No, of course not" she smiled. "I'm sure they'll ask questions, but there's no way I'm going to share any details or anything private...I'll just say how cool you are."

"I am pretty cool, aren't I?" She heard the smile in his voice. "All right, then...Kahoko, but seriously; you know you can talk to me about anything, don't you? I think you know that I need honesty and full disclosure, even if it's not pleasant. If there's anything you're ever concerned about, let me know, OK?

"Sure, Kiriya. Thank you. Thanks for being so great. I'll see you tomorrow."

"OK...Goodnight, Kahoko."

"Goodnight, Kiriya."

She clicked the off button and held the phone to her bosom as she reviewed the conversation, looking for a way to set her mind at ease... Kiriya cared enough to make sure that she was OK. That was a good thing. He didn't know anything about Azuma sleeping over, so no worries.

She returned to her friends, who were laughing uproariously about something. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing, really nothing. We were just being silly." Nao explained. "Who was that on the phone?"

"Oh, it was Etou-kun. He just wanted to check in and say Hi."

"I wish I had a boy calling me at night" Mio sighed.

Amou had put a slice of Chocolate Mousse cake onto each of the four dessert plates. "Now, where were we?" Amou prompted as she handed out the plates, knowing full well which question had been on the table. "Oh yes. Does Yunoki-sempai want to marry you?"

**

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Author's Note:** Ha! **Amou** is such a sh*t-disturber sometimes :) She must get impatient sometimes, with being the only person in the room who is willing to talk about 'the good stuff'. I have a friend like her, who on the one hand is delighted to shock people with her thoughts on risque topics, but on the other hand sometimes gets told off for doing so.

I am so not-surprised that **Kiriya** called. He knew something was wrong this morning and he couldn't just let it go. He's a talker, and he can't stand not talking about something that should be talked about. He hates secrets (at least secrets that are being kept from him). I think he's reassured now, although he'll be keeping his eyes open.

If you were in Kaho's situation, would you keep **Azuma**'s overnight stay a secret from your girlfriends? If it were me, I'm pretty sure that I would share every minute detail with my friends (except if there were graphic bits, I wouldn't talk about that). But I think that Kaho's extra-protective of her family and doesn't want to bring any shame on them.

Would any of you be as bold as Amou by answering the door in a blue **face** **mask**? Um, with me I think it depends on my mood. There's about a 20% chance that I might be that wacky.

**My first sleepover** was for my 10th birthday. What do I remember about that?...There were about 7 girls from school...My friend Carla was allergic to our dog and when her dad came to pick her up to take her home, he fell on one of my roller skates. My Dad was mortified!...Um, one of my gifts was a really cute flashlight that looked like a ladybug...Do they still makes those mini boxes of breakfast cereal that are packaged in a long row? Anyway, we had that for breakfast...Corn Pops, Sugar Pops, I forget what all else was in there.

**My next sleepover** was when I was 13. My three best friends came, and the theme was baking. They each had to bring a recipe and we baked. I think there were chocolate chip cookies and popcorn balls.

I've got sparkly **pink nail polish** on right now. I think it's a coincidence, but you never know what was going on subconsciously when I chose the color!

Soda, chips, chocolate, pizza, cake; so North American! I can just imagine what some of you readers from non-North-American countries might be thinking. What would be YOUR most indulgent **treats** if you had girlfriends over?

What's your favorite **cake**? Hmm, I'm not even sure of what mine is. It has to be moist. I like Black Forest cake, for example.

What's your favorite **pizza**?

**Next Chapter:** More girl-talk...the girls set Kahoko straight about Len's enigmatic disclosure...


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the lovely reviews :)

_

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Monday night sleepover continued..._

_Amou had put a slice of Chocolate Mousse cake onto each of the four dessert plates. "Now, where were we?" Amou prompted as she handed out the plates, knowing full well which question had been on the table. "Oh yes. Does Yunoki-sempai want to marry you?"_

Kahoko's expression held a hint of censure softened by affection for Mio who had originally asked the naive question. "Hey, it's way too soon to be talking about marriage! I haven't even had a real boyfriend yet..." and she really wanted to get off this topic. "One thing I've been thinking seriously about is Etou-kun, whether or not I could fit into his world. He's never been anything but sweet to me and he says that his friends like me, but he and I are actually very different."

"What's it like when you're together? What do you like about him?" Nao asked.

"Well..." Here eyes softened in memory of the warmth and physical satisfaction of being with him. Amou leaned over to Nao and whispered not all that quietly "Look at our Kaho getting all swoony..."

"Yes Kaho-chan, you're in love, aren't you?" Of course it was Mio again jumping to conclusions.

"What? No!...I just...well, I don't think that I feel more for Etou-kun than the others..." She sighed deeply. "But he has special qualities. He's very...touchy...and affectionate. He likes to cuddle...he's a real softie...quiet and deep." As she heard herself sharing these impressions she realized how opposite his behavior was now, compared to their first few frustrating meetings several months ago. Back then he used his rapier wit to issue pointed words. And yet now conversely he was patient and sensual with her.

The girls were studying her face. Mio broke the silence. "He sounds really nice, Kaho-chan."

Amou wasn't about to let the previous point of discussion get dropped completely. "Can we back-track to Yunoki-sempai for a moment? You've hardly told us anything about him. What's he like when he's with you?"

"Uhm...well..." For some reason Kahoko was really reluctant to talk in depth about Azuma. Why was that? Was she loathe to discuss his controlling behavior-turned-romantic? Or was she mindful of how vulnerable a position he was in because of his family and his serious intentions toward her? Maybe she felt guilty about the sacrifice he wanted to make for her...Glancing at her friends, she continued... "How does it feel to be with him?..." Her face softened with affection for her dashing suitor. The girls were beginning to understand that maybe she was a little in-love with each of the boys. It said a lot about what kind of person she was, that she could find something to appreciate in each of them. That was big-hearted Kahoko.

"Azuma is..."

"You're on a first-name basis with Prince Yunoki?" Mio was shocked and even Nao looked surprised, although Amou had a knowing smirk on her face.

"Oh, yes...he insists that I call him Azuma."

"So then _he's_ the one, Kaho-chan, right?" Mio was ready to become enraptured at the prospect of Kahoko's romance with the handsome 3rd son of the prestigious flower clan.

"Unless Kaho-chan calls all of the boys by their first name..." Nao sagely proffered.

"Um...yes, I think I am, actually...yeah..." Blush, blush

Only Amou had any knowledge of how 'close' the redhead had gotten with each of the boys, but the possibility was beginning to dawn on Nao and Mio. The only way she would be first-naming them was if they had gotten quite intimate, either emotionally or physically...or both. These boys must be absolutely crazy about her.

"Anyway..." she didn't really want to delve into that topic just yet... "Azuma is...exciting. Sometimes it's difficult to guess what he's thinking, and he can be a little controlling..."

"No surprise, considering his privileged upbringing" Nao observed.

"...but he really wants me" Kahoko shared with a deep blush "and he's serious about us having a relationship."

"Tell us more, Kaho-chan" Mio's face had gone all dreamy.

Kahoko didn't want to disappoint, especially since he really was pretty incredible. "He's very romantic." She told them about the yacht, minus the x-rated session in the bedroom, but including an indulgent account of how he had serenaded her and about their dance.

"Is he a good kisser?" Amou asked with a devilish gleam in her eye. Kahoko had still not given her any satisfaction in describing the enigmatic young man's physicality, and her reporter's instincts told her that beneath his polished exterior was passion or even some form of perversion.

"He's a really good kisser" the violinist admitted. "He's bold and...he likes to try different things." That was quite the understatement, really. To be the recipient of Azuma's physical attentions was to be swept away by his sensual agenda. "He's good at all of that stuff."

"That _stuff?_" Amou prodded, with the suggestion hanging in the air that maybe Kahoko was engaging in sexual acts.

Looking flustered, Kahoko specified "By 'stuff'' I mean touching...lovemaking...well, not actual lovemaking...you know..."

Mio's eyes were round as saucers as her innocent ideas of romance teetered on the brink of annihilation.

"Uhm, well you and Amou might know, but as for the rest of us who haven't even dated..." Nao stated

Kakoko felt like the more she talked, the more she got herself into hot water. She needed to set the record straight. "I haven't had SEX, if that's what you're wondering!"

There was a short silence after her unaccustomed outburst, then Amou and Nao began hooting with laughter, followed by Mio and finally Kahoko. "I guess that did sound funny" the latter admitted.

When the giggling died down Nao said "No, we didn't think you had had..._ssexx_... So you just mean that kissing leads to other things..."

"Yes, that's what I meant" Kahoko asserted breathlessly.

Eager to steer the conversation in another direction she said..."Now Girls, I need to know what you think of something; Tsukimori-kun said something very strange to me today..."

"Oh yes?" Amou leaned forward in her seat.

"I would really appreciate your input because I don't know what to make of it, but you all have to promise that you won't tell anyone, OK?"

Three heads nodded earnestly. "Cross my heart and hope to die" Mio piped.

"Well, during my violin lesson he seemed so serious and quiet, like there was something bothering him. When I asked him about it, he hesitated and then said that he was reconsidering whether he wanted to go to Europe or not!"

"_WHAT?"_ the three girls all exclaimed at once.

Mio gushed "Oh, he's in love with you! He's going to cancel his trip so he can be with you!"

Kahoko immediately dismissed that interpretation. Mio did tend to jump to wild conclusions. "No, Mio. You don't know how serious he is about his career..."

Amou looked pensive, though. "Did he say anything else?"

"Uh, yes...he said...um, he said that he didn't have to go right away, that he could wait 6 months or even a year. He wouldn't tell me what he meant by that..." Her voice trailed off as she saw her friends' pale and shocked faces as the truth dawned on them. "Why are you all looking at me like that?..."

"Oh, Kaho..." Nao began. "I think that Mio's right." She glanced at Amou, who was nodding with certainty.

Kahoko was shaking her head in protest. It was unthinkable that Len would put his career on hold for her, not even for a second.

Amou's brain cells were working overtime as she calculated the situation. "Did he say anything else?"

"No...like what?"

"Anything. Any kind of context for his mysterious statement?"

"No...not that I can remember...no, I'm sure not..."

"But he seemed concerned, right? So there's no other likely explanation. The only reason he would have to share that with you, is that it involves you. I think he's actually considering delaying his trip so he can be your boyfriend."

"Why wouldn't he just say that, though?"

Nao jumped in. "He's being a real gentleman. He knows that he's not the only guy that you're seeing, and he doesn't want his grand gesture to influence you against your own happiness...although you haven't told us how close the two of you are. Violin career aside, do you think it's possible that he likes you enough to be your boyfriend?"

Len's protegee was twiddling her thumbs. "Yes, I think so. The way he is when we're alone...he's very passionate..."

Amou shared her opinion "I've noticed a big change in him these past few weeks. He seems less severe, more tolerant, and I've even seen him smile a couple times."

Nao nodded. She'd seen some changes too. "Yeah. I noticed the same kind of stuff."

"Did he kiss you, Kaho-chan?"

"Yes, we've kissed a few times" she admitted rosily. She was aware that she was revealing more and more of the picture of overall intimacy that was her recent journey of discovery.

The girls were becoming increasingly impressed with the deep complications of their friend's situation.

Kahoko suddenly burst out..._"I don't want Tsukimori-kun to put his trip on hold for me!"_ She was at the point of tears. She had far too much respect for the seriousness of the prodigy's career path. Not only did he have unbelievable ability but he had the experience, the drive, the support of his parents and the financial means to go all the way in fulfilling the promise of his God-given talents. Everything was coming together for him in an undeniable way to make him one of the world's greatest musicians. It was a rare situation and certainly not to be taken for granted. He just couldn't be thinking of involving her in any way that would alter his destiny. She would never forgive herself if a relationship with him had the slightest negative impact on his career...The tears began to shimmer in her eyes...

"Don't cry, Sweetie..." Mio leaned over to put her arm around Kahoko's shoulders. "It's a good thing." Ever the pragmatist, Nao suggested "If he's thinking what we think he's thinking..." she smiled as she registered the sing-song rhythm of her words "then it must be natural for him. It's probably good for him to consider something outside of his career. Maybe being in love is good for his growth as a human being, and he recognizes that."

Kahoko was sniffling as if to put an end to her tears. "I have noticed a difference in his violin-playing...and he did tell me that he feels a change..."

"To what did he attribute this change?" Nao wanted to know.

"Well...he said that it was because of me, although I don't believe him, of course."

"Why-ever-not?" Amou retorted. "Do you think that someone as serious as Tsukimori would lie about something like that?" Nami Amou was a good judge of character and she was damn sure of her assessment.

The others were nodding.

"Uh, no. He wouldn't lie" the violinist agreed.

Nao leaned forward and touched Kahoko's knee. "I know you find it unbelievable that he would feel so deeply about you, but I don't think that you can completely dismiss the possibility. It's not like he's close to any other girls...is he? No, I didn't think so. You need to talk to him. Let him know how you feel and do him the honor of treating his feelings seriously."

"I do really like him" Kahoko whispered.

"More or less than the others?" Amou asked.

"I don't know" she let out in one last half-sob as she studied her lap. But she was ready to pull herself together. It was great to have friends that she could fall apart with, but they couldn't make this journey for her.

There was a silence as they mused about the ramifications of Tsukimori's words.

Amou's mellifluous voice broke the stillness. "What about the other boys?"

Following the existing template of questions, Kahoko replied. "OK...I already told you about Ryo, didn't I?..."

"Is he passionate, Kaho-chan?"

"Yes, he is!" she smiled at Mio. "He's always trying to kiss me. He's very manly."

They all giggled.

She continued... "Kazuki is very sweet. He's so affectionate and I can always tell what his feelings are. He makes me feel like I'm the most special girl in the world." She was kind of repeating herself now, but it was a relief to talk...and it was helping her clarify things.

"He's got a great body..." Amou smiled slyly.

"Mm" Kakoko agreed. She could admit to herself that her curiosity of him was far from over. His recent intensity and confidence excited her. Not only was he clear in his love for her, but sometimes the way he looked at her made her heart flutter.

"I want to know more about Kaji-kun." Mio was eager about the topic. She had a soft spot for the princely blond athlete.

Kahoko sighed in memory of her cottage getaway and of Aoi's readiness to step forward anytime she needed his shoulder to cry on. "Kaji-kun is amazing. I almost can't believe he's a guy in lots of ways because he's so good at listening patiently, he's considerate and generous...but he's definitely a man too!" Her sudden pink cheeks made at least a couple of the girls jealous. Her account of the cottage getaway elicited oohs and aahs, although she didn't relate the most 'exciting' highlights of that day.

Amou was eager to change the subject. "So, for the benefit of those of us who haven't been dating 6 hot guys at once, will you compare their bedside manner?" She had been patient for long enough. It was time to get to the good stuff.

**

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Author's Note:** Bedside manner? Yikes! Now there's a topic! When I was a teenager I didn't have anyone to talk to about **sex** or even simple stuff like kissing. We moved around so much that I never got close enough to my classmates to make real friendships, let alone to be able to talk about such intimate things. I mostly got my education from fiction books, which is why I think that explicit stories like some of these on in the M category of fanfiction are so important. Knowing what to expect really helps.

My Mom gave me **the talk** about sex when I was 11, and I can tell you that I was totally shocked! I had no idea about any of it! That's what my parents did in the privacy of their bedroom? But that was the only talk I remember having with Mom about it, so I didn't learn about dating or kissing or how boys and girls are different in how they view relationships.

What **age** did your mother give you the talk?

Were any of you (girls) told by someone other than your mother?

Did any of you not have the talk at all with a parent or guardian? I would guess that some parents don't feel comfortable about the subject. Too bad, because sex can seem scary to some girls if they don't know what to expect...unless their guy is very patient with them.

I can just imagine how surprised Kaho was in the moment that she realized that her friends were right about Len's reasons for considering a delay of his trip to Europe. You know that sensation, when you suddenly realize the **truth** of something? For me it feels like a heavy 'thunk' in my gut and I can feel the universe aligning itself around the idea. It's funny how because of a certain belief that we have, we can be blind to something as powerful as 'the truth'.

Kahoko was voicing her concerns about how **different** she and Etou Kiriya are. Do you think that matters? How important do you think it is to have similar backgrounds and lifestyle? Do you think that Kazuki would be a better choice for her, considering that he's very similar to her?

Have you ever had **chocolate mousse cake**? Yummy!

You know, I really think that it's possible to have deep intimate feelings about **several guys** at once. I think that if you're open-minded and open-hearted like Kaho, you could feel that kind of closeness for more than one person. That's why there are societal rules against it! The way that it doesn't work is that for most of us, when we're ready for a long-term relationship, we want exclusivity. We want our partner to want us only. And to keep a relationship healthy requires a daily time commitment. If you've got a guy who wants you exclusively, then he won't be happy unless he gets to spend a certain amount of time with you. He wants your full attention, just as you want his. And that's what it takes to keep a long-term relationship going.

**

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Next Chapter:** is the last part of the sleepover. More girl-talk, where Kahoko describes some of the intimacy that she has been enjoying...The girls give her some ideas about how to choose between the boys, as well as the question of whether she will be able to remain friends with the boys that she doesn't choose.


	30. Vote for an Ending

**Vote for an Ending**

_Kahoko still has a week before she makes her decision, but of course I'm looking ahead. Will you help me decide what kind of ending to write?..._

_.  
_

**Alternate Endings:** where each boy gets their own happy ending chapter

or

**Kahoko chooses one of the boys**

**.  
**

Thanks for your input! I tried to set up a poll but it was a fail. You can give me your vote with a review.

Next chapter coming soon :)

-Maria


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Note: **Even though it says that it's chapter 31, it's actually chapter 30. You haven't missed anything. The voting chapter automatically got called #30 for some reason, which means this one gets called #31.

Thanks to everyone who has left a vote-review about what kind of ending you'd like. I'm so glad that I asked, because the comments you've left are very interesting, wonderful, heartfelt and thoughtful. I appreciate knowing that you're making this journey with me through the story. For those of you that haven't voted, please do so. Let me know what kind of ending you would like. Thanks :)

_

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Monday night, sleepover continued..._

"_So, for the benefit of those of us who have not been dating 6 hot guys at once, will you compare their bedside manner?" Amou had been patient for long enough._

"Huh? I told you there was no sex!"

"So you say. Well, compare kisses then."

Looking at the other friends' curious faces she was tempted to comply, realizing that hers was a unique position and that there was probably a lot of advice that she could give. She herself would have appreciated someone letting her know what she would be in for, when this whole audition business began...But now her conscience was pricking her about telling the girls too much.

"It wouldn't be right to compare the boys. I don't feel right about sharing anything private." The three faces showed heavy disappointment but maybe also a bit of respect for her moral fortitude.

"But maybe I can tell you some general things about what the boys did..." She was opening herself up for some embarrassment; she could just feel it. But then so many things were embarrassing to her...

"Go on..." Amou prodded, not that she herself needed edification on the subject of interacting with guys.

"...Uh, I don't know where to start...Maybe if you have any questions?"

Neither Nao nor Mio seemed ready to admit a particular curiosity.

Amou was amused by their reticence. "Kaho, maybe you can talk about how boys approach intimacy."

"OK." Kahoko could certainly warm to this matter because she had often been struck by instances of unfamiliar male action. "Well, some of the guys were very bold about kissing me in the first place, I mean on the first date. And then although they may have thought they were going slow for my sake, they were totally ready to take things to the next step, and the next step. They were so eager, it's as if they've been studying kissing and sex more than for any subject in school!"

Amou was smiling broadly and the other two girls looked a little stunned.

"...Not that we went as far doing _'it'_. It's more that some of them wanted to...try different stuff..."

"Like?..." Nao prompted in spite of herself, leaning forward in her seat.

"Like, uh...kissing my neck...or lower."

"Eeek!" Mio cried.

Eeek, indeed. Kahoko flushed at the memory of the various sensual paths that had been taken across her flesh.

"How much lower?" Nao wanted to know. She was flat-out clinically curious now. She wanted details.

"Collarbone...at the edge of my bra."

"...B-bra..." Mio had turned pale and was mumbling incoherently. Kahoko found herself being surprised that her friend was so shocked. So many things that used to shock the redhead were now familiar actions.

"Whoa. How long did it take them to get down that far?" Nao was taking the information seriously.

"It depends on what they start with...Hmm, most of them were conventional in their approach." She put some thought into elucidating for her analytical friend. "First a gentle kiss on the lips...then with a little more pressure, then tongue..."

"T-tongue?" Mio was now weak with incomprehension. "I...I heard about that in the movies, but I didn't really think they were serious!"

Amou turned to the girl and patiently explained. "Using the tongue is a natural progression from the lips. Once you get kissing, your hormones kick in. You start craving more and more closeness and sensation."

"But what are you supposed to do with it..._the t-tongue_?" Mio's throat was parched and she could barely speak.

Amou was delighted to be discussing this. "With your tongue? You can touch your tongue to his tongue, or his lips...Don't look so horrified, girlfriend; it feels good. Right, Kahoko?"

"Yeah, it does. If you don't know it's coming, it can be quite surprising...but it does feel good. You just start following your instincts. And you can use your tongue elsewhere..."

Nao was riveted, Mio felt faint.

Amou continued to assist with the guided tour. "You can lick the neck...earlobes can be quite sensitive...but Kahoko, you were saying that kissing wasn't always the first step..."

"Yes, you're right. Sometimes if kissing seems like too bold a move, the guy might touch you somewhere, like holding your hand...or touching your hair or face. It's like touching some kind of innocent spot is supposed to warm you up to him. It's true, too. Any kind of touch makes you want more, if you like the guy."

Nao argued "But you began with kissing right away when you were blindfolded."

"Yeah, there were quite a few surprises! Kazuki was my first kiss. Thank goodness he was gentle...Oh! I wasn't going to mention names! Please don't tell anyone, OK?" The girls nodded as if there were no question of the sanctity of what was said this evening... "Thanks. Anyway, everything is more intense when you're blindfolded...The next week when I knew who the guys were and we went on a first date, sometimes the guy was cautious and went slowly. In other cases the guy expected to continue from the same point since we had already broken the ice."

Mio was almost too afraid to ask, but in a hushed tone..."What else did the boys do to you?"

Amou rubbed her hands together with glee. This was getting good.

Kahoko thought back to recent events. "They might touch you even lower...they could hold you closer and tighter while they kiss you..."

Nao wanted the big picture. "How far did you go?"

Kahoko should have been expecting that question, but it still shook her. Pink heat suffused her cheeks as she decided what to say. "I went even further...but nowhere near 'all the way." She knew there would be more questions..."We didn't take our clothing off, for example." Technically, she wasn't lying if one understood the phrase in its usual sense, to mean 'we didn't remove all of our clothing'. A mischievous impulse made her share..."But I did lay down with more than one of them."

"Really!" Nao was intrigued and possibly a little embarrassed to hear that detail, but she asked in spite of herself... "What do you do when you're laying down if you're not actually having sex?"

"Same kissing and touching stuff, but it feels more exciting. You get more full-body contact. It's exciting because you're so close to going further. And there's something cool about having someone on top of you, when that happens...if you trust the guy, of course."

"But you didn't do 'it'..." Nao was just checking.

"No, I didn't."

"Kahoko, I don't want to embarrass you, but I'm really surprised that you did all these intimate things with so many boys. I thought you were so shy that you wouldn't let them near you."

"I thought so too. But because I was blindfolded I didn't get the chance to keep any distance. Once that line had been crossed, there was no turning back."

Nao nodded. "I can see how that would be the case. But I'm surprised that you went even further with them after that."

This was embarrassing but Kahoko knew she deserved to defend herself. "Yeah. How can I explain that?...Well, at first I just wanted to be nice to them...then I started really liking them. They were all really nice and they liked me and I got caught up in the moment...I guess I was curious. And once you've done something with one person, it's easier to do that much with another...You'll understand when you're with a guy that you like. You keep wanting more and more."

The girls couldn't argue with that, since they didn't have any experience. Amou was nodding emphatically.

Kahoko was so done with this topic. Her cheeks were flushed and she was ready to move on. "So Ladies, I need your help. How do I decide between 6 amazing guys?" she pleaded.

Nao wanted to know "So are you saying that you haven't a clue as to who you prefer?"

"That's what I'm saying...I'm really fond of all of them."

"And no one seems to be _less_ desirable?"

"Nope."

"You could make a list" Amou suggested. She was always uber-organized, and a big fan of lists. "You can write down each guy's good and bad points and decide what's important to you..."

"But you should burn the list as soon as you're done! It would be awful if anyone saw it" Nao warned.

"Shouldn't it be about who you love the most?" Mio wanted to know.

"Hmm, I think you've got a point" Nao said. Making a list is a good idea for focusing on various factors, but ultimately you have to follow your heart."

"Or maybe it's a combination of heart and common sense" Amou offered. What you want is..." At that point the house phone rang. Kahoko grabbed the phone, jumped up and went to another room. The girls could hear her voice in the distance. "Hi Mother..."

"So what do you think?" Amou turned to her sofa companions. "Our Kahoko is in quite a predicament. If she's equally fond of all of them, then both she and five of the guys are in for a big helping of heartbreak."

"I knowww" Mio agreed with a pout.

"Nao, you look like you have a new train of thought..." The tomboy was leaning her chin in the palm of her hand. "Yeah... well, I'm thinking that although it's a difficult situation, all she has to do is to earnestly do her best to make herself happy with her choice. And otherwise, to be patient with the guys who are upset when they're not chosen. She can't do more than that."

"You're right of course, Nao. Although my intention in setting up this 'audition' was to help her, I'll admit that I didn't fully think it through. There seem to be so many unexpected complications. Although I'm relieved that she said that it's been a good experience for her in many ways."

Nao nodded. "She seems more confident and...grown-up."

Kahoko entered the room and plomped herself down on the sofa. "Mother says Hi, and for us to not stay up too late."

"Yeah, we should go to bed soon" Mio agreed. "But I want to know something. Did any of the boys find out about each other?"

"Mm. Yes, a couple of them were asking questions about the others and getting a little jealous. I don't want to say who. But as far as I know, they all think that I'm only choosing between three guys...Except for Kaji-kun." She glanced over at Amou. "I had a weak moment and told him how many boys there really are."

"Oh yeah?" Amou wasn't upset. The more drama, the better.

"He seemed surprised, but he's OK with it, I think. He's so understanding."

Amou leaned forward. "Sweetie, I thought of something else that might help you make your decision. It's a technique that I sometimes use. What you do is to pretend that you've made up your mind in a particular direction and then you live with that decision for a period of time. Then you do it again with a different decision. The wisdom of this is that making a commitment to any course of action gives you clarity."

"Hmm, so what do I do, exactly?"

"You've got the rest of this week plus the weekend, right? OK, so tomorrow morning you 'decide' that you've chosen Tsuchiura, for example. You convince yourself that you are totally committed to him over the others. Then all these new feelings will come up for you. On the one hand you may feel glad or relieved that he's the one. On the other hand, you may feel like something's wrong, like it suddenly becomes clear that this other boy was better for you in a certain area. But you have to avoid feelings of general guilt about disappointing the other guys. What you want is for your inner wisdom to kick in and reveal to you who the right guy is. You're looking for a way to get your confused mind to get out of the way so that instinct can show you the way."

"This really works?"

"It works for me. The degree of success you have with this technique will depend on the extent to which you can convince yourself each time...Now, you should divide up your remaining weekdays by 6, one for each boy, and make each new decision according to those increments. Then use the weekend to absorb what you've learned."

"OK...this sounds good, thanks. It's nice to have a plan..Uhm...I'm also really dreading telling the others that they haven't been chosen. I can't even begin to imagine what I'll say. Do you have any ideas?"

**

* * *

Author's Note:** I thought this would be the last 'sleepover chapter' but the girls keep yakking and yakking! The next chapter will be the last girl-talk one. It's getting close to bedtime on a school night, so they can't talk for too much longer!

**If you made a list** of what you want in a boyfriend, what would your priorities be? A friend of mine once had to decide between two guys and one of her priorities was 'nice hands.' We laughed about that. It doesn't seem like something that would be important in the face of other qualities and I doubt that many of her boyfriends since then had nice hands. We all have things that are somehow important to us, though. One of my deal-breakers is smell. It's not that the guy has to smell a particular way, but that he not smell bad to me.

When you find the right guy, though, many of the things you thought important get dropped. My journey of dating had more to do with me growing through the relationships than with how the men looked. I seemed to care most about communication and the sharing of creative ideas.

Well, do you have any advice for how Kaho should **break the news** to the guys she doesn't pick? What an awful task!

**Next chapter:** The girls' views on that question...plus the other tricky question of whether Kahoko will be able to remain friends with the boys that she rejects


End file.
